US Cash Crude-Grades mixed as WTI/Brent spread stays wide, refinery demand slips

Sept 22 (Reuters) - U.S. crude grades were mixed, dealers said on Monday, as the spread between West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) and global benchmark Brent futures remained wide, while domestic refinery demand was expected to slip.

The spread between Brent and WTI traded at a discount as much as minus $4.34 a barrel. A spread wider than minus $4 encourages U.S. exports.

U.S. oil refiners are expected to have about 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of capacity offline in the week ending September 26, decreasing available refining capacity by 249,000 bpd, research company IIR Energy said.

Offline capacity is expected to increase to about 1.2 million bpd in the week ending October 3, IIR added.

Iraq has increased oil exports following the gradual unwinding of voluntary production cuts under an OPEC+ agreement, the country's state oil marketer SOMO said on Sunday.

Earlier this month, eight members of OPEC+ agreed to raise production from October by 137,000 bpd. OPEC+ has been increasing production since April after years of cuts to support the oil market.

* Light Louisiana Sweet WTC-LLS for October delivery rose 18 cents to a midpoint of a $2.38 premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1, and was seen bid and offered between $2.00 and $2.75 over WTI

* Mars Sour WTC-MRS fell 30 cents to a midpoint of a 10-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a 20-cent discount and parity to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* WTI Midland WTC-WTM was steady at a midpoint of a $1.10 premium and was seen bid and offered between a 85-cent and $1.35 premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* West Texas Sour WTC-WTS rose 75 cents to a midpoint of a 50-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 40-cent and 60-cent premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* WTI at East Houston WTC-MEH, also known as MEH, traded between a $1.25 and $1.85 premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

* ICE Brent November futures LCOc1 fell 11 cents to settle at $66.57 a barrel

* WTI October crude CLc1 futures fell 4 cents to settle at $62.64 a barrel

* The Brent/WTI spread WTCLc1-LCOc1 narrowed 3 cents to last trade at minus $4.25, after hitting a high of minus $4.21 and a low of minus $4.34