The oil major bought most of the partials from TOTSA at $49.30 a barrel, putting cash Dubai at 13 cents above swaps, up from parity in the previous session.
Trade for December-loading Middle East cargoes has thinned as most refiners have finished purchasing December feedstock, traders said.
The market is now turning its focus to outstanding tenders. Qatari state-marketer Tasweeq closed its Low Sulphur Field Condensate (LSC) sell tender for December-loading cargoes today. The tender is due to be awarded on Oct. 19.
Thai state refiner PTT also closed its sour crude import tender seeking either December-loading or Jan. 1-15 delivery crude for the Rayong-based IRPC refinery on Tuesday. Tender results are due to emerge in the coming days.
On the Russia Asia-Pacific crude market, trade for December light-sour ESPO Blend crude started at firm levels after Surgut awarded its December-loading sell tender at premiums above $3 per barrel to front-line Dubai quotes.
The Russian producer is likely to have sold the Nov. 30-Dec. 5 cargo to Trafigura at around $3.10-3.20 per barrel to Dubai quotes, and the Dec. 3-8 and Dec. 6-11 cargoes to Unipec at premiums between $3.20-3.30 per barrel.
ESPO Blend, which is a light-sour crude, is compared with light-sour Middle East crude like Abu Dhabi Murban.