US Cash Crude-Mars firms as WTI/Brent spread widens

Aug 20 (Reuters) - Mars Sour crude gained on Wednesday as U.S. West Texas Intermediate's discount to Brent widened, dealers said.

Midland eased 10 cents, while WTI at East Houston (MEH) was flat and Mars gained 25 cents.

West Texas Intermediate crude futures' (WTI) discount to Brent WTCLc1-LCOc1 widened to as much as minus $4.14 a barrel, the most since June 13. A wider spread makes U.S. grades more attractive to foreign buyers.

Crude oil stockpiles fell by 6 million barrels to 420.7 million barrels last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.8 million-barrel draw. Inventories at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub USOICC=ECI rose by 419,000 barrels in the week ended August 15, the EIA said.

In refining news, BP's BP.L 440,000-bpd refinery in Whiting, Indiana, was in the process of restarting after flooding disrupted its operations earlier this week, industry monitor IIR said on Wednesday, adding the units would take several days to ramp up.

* Light Louisiana Sweet WTC-LLS for September delivery gained 45 cents to a midpoint of a $1.40 premium and was seen bid and offered between a $1.20 and $1.60 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* Mars Sour WTC-MRS firmed 25 cents to a midpoint of a 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 eased 5 cents to a midpoint of an 80-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 60-cent and $1.00 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* West Texas Sour WTC-WTS eased 5 cents to a midpoint of parity and was seen bid and offered between a discount of 20 cents and a 20-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* WTI at East Houston WTC-MEH, also known as MEH, traded between a $1.15 and $1.45 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* ICE Brent October futures LCOc1 rose $1.05 to settle at $66.84 a barrel on Wednesday.

* WTI October crude CLc1 futures rose 86 cents to $63.21 a barrel on Wednesday.

* The Brent/WTI spread WTCLc1-LCOc1 widened 6 cents to last trade at minus $4.08, after hitting a high of minus $3.95 and a low of minus $4.14.