US Cash Crude-Grades rise as US crude, fuel stocks fall, Venezuela supply concerns

March 26 (Reuters) - Physically traded domestic crude grades rose on Wednesday, dealers said after U.S. crude and fuel inventories dropped last week, and investors weighed a potential drop in Venezuelan supplies.

U.S. crude oil inventories fell last week as refiners continued to ramp up production, while gasoline and distillate stockpiles also dropped, the Energy Information Administration said.

Crude inventories fell by 3.3 million barrels to 433.6 million barrels in the week ended March 21, the EIA said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 956,000-barrel draw.

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing blanket 25% tariffs on imports from any country that buys Venezuelan crude oil and liquid fuels.

This will likely lead to more stress on the heavy crude market that Venezuela produces, said StoneX analyst Alex Hodes in a note.

Light Louisiana Sweet WTC-LLS for May delivery rose $1.25 to a midpoint of a $3.00 premium and was seen bid and offered between a $2.90 and $3.10 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

Mars Sour WTC-MRS rose 60 cents to a midpoint of a 90-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between an 80-cent and $1 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

WTI Midland WTC-WTM rose 10 cents to a midpoint of a $1 premium and was seen bid and offered between a 90-cent and $1.10 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

West Texas Sour WTC-WTS rose 50 cents to a midpoint of a 30-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a 20-cent and 40-cent a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures CLc1

WTI at East Houston WTC-MEH, also known as MEH, traded between a $1.25 and $1.45 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

ICE Brent May futures LCOc1 rose 77 cents to settle at $73.79 a barrel

WTI May crude CLc1 futures rose 65 cents to settle at $69.65 a barrel

The Brent/WTI spread WTCLc1-LCOc1 widened 9 cents to last trade at minus $4.11, after hitting a high of minus $3.95 and a low of minus $4.14