Aug 28 (Reuters) - Grades were mixed on Thursday, dealers said, with domestic refining demand to slip next month, while a U.S. crude futures' discount to the international benchmark Brent widened.
Phillips 66 PSX.N will begin shuttering its 139,000 barrels per day Los Angeles-area refinery in September, people familiar with the matter said.
The refinery will begin winding down operations for permanent closure as early as next week, two sources said.
Phillips 66 announced last year it would close the facility and begin winding down operations by October 2025.
Mexico's 285,000 bpd Minatitlan refinery was in the process of restarting on Thursday, while the 340,000 bpd Olmeca refinery was still offline, sources told Reuters on Thursday.
West Texas Intermediate crude futures' discount to Brent WTCLc1-LCOc1 widened to as much as minus $4.09 a barrel, suggesting an open arbitrage window. A wider spread makes U.S. grades more attractive to foreign buyers.
* Light Louisiana Sweet WTC-LLS for October delivery fell 5 cents to a midpoint of a $2.15 premium and was seen bid and offered between a $2.10 and $2.20 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* Mars Sour WTC-MRS was steady at a midpoint of a 15-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 5-cent and 25-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* WTI Midland WTC-WTM rose 5 cents to a midpoint of a 90-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 80-cent and $1.00 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* West Texas Sour WTC-WTS fell 10 cents to a midpoint of a 5-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a discount of 10 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 $1.10 and $1.30 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1
* ICE Brent October futures LCOc1 rose 57 cents to settle at $68.62 a barrel
* WTI October crude CLc1 futures rose 45 cents to settle at $64.60 a barrel
* The Brent/WTI spread WTCLc1-LCOc1 widened 9 cents to last trade at minus $3.99, after hitting a high of minus $3.85 and a low of minus $4.09