US Cash Crude-Grades mixed as WTI/Brent spread stays range-bound

July 29 (Reuters) - U.S. cash crude grades were mixed on Tuesday, dealers said, as the spread between U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude and Brent remained range-bound.

Key grade WTI Midland traded at parity, while Mars Sour WTC-MRS firmed 30 cents.

The discount between U.S. crude and Brent crude oil widened to $3.41, the widest since July 15, but remained under the minus $4 level that typically encourages exports.

U.S. crude and distillate stocks rose last week while gasoline inventories fell, market sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday.

Crude stocks rose by 1.54 million barrels in the week ended July 25, the sources said on condition of anonymity. Gasoline inventories fell by 1.74 million barrels and distillate stocks rose by 4.19 million barrels, they said.

Oil prices gained more than 3% on Tuesday as President Donald Trump ramped up pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine and on optimism that a trade war between the U.S. and its major trading partners was abating.

U.S. oil refiners are expected to have about 171,000 barrels per day of capacity offline in the week ending August 1, unchanged from the previous week, research company IIR Energy said on Monday.

* Light Louisiana Sweet WTC-LLS for August delivery eased $2 to a midpoint of a 25-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between parity and 50-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* Mars Sour WTC-MRS firmed to trade at parity and was seen bid and offered between a discount of 20 cents and 20-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* WTI Midland WTC-WTM was unchanged at a midpoint of a 40-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 20-cent and 60-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* West Texas Sour WTC-WTS firmed 25 cents to a midpoint of a 10-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a discount of 30 cents and 10-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* WTI at East Houston WTC-MEH, also known as MEH, traded between a 50-cent and 90-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* ICE Brent September futures LCOc1 rose $2.47 to settle at $72.51 a barrel on Tuesday.

* WTI September crude CLc1 futures rose $2.50 to settle at $69.21 a barrel on Tuesday.

* The Brent/WTI spread WTCLc1-LCOc1 widened 6 cents to last trade at minus $3.39, after hitting a high of minus $3.23 and a low of minus $3.39.