
Nov 12 (Reuters) - The discount on Western Canada Select to North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate futures CLc1 narrowed on Wednesday.
WCS for December delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, settled at $11.50 a barrel under the U.S. benchmark WTI, according to brokerage CalRock, compared to Monday's close of $11.70. Markets were closed Tuesday in Canada for Remembrance Day.
The differential has been trading in a tight band, ranging between $10.25 and $11.70 under WTI, since September 1.
Analysts point to strong international buying of Canadian crude off the Pacific coast via the Trans Mountain pipeline, especially by China. Buying of Canadian barrels for re-export out of the Gulf Coast has also been stronger than usual in reaction to additional sanctions on Russia.
WCS discounts will likely average slightly wider through the winter months as strong seasonal supply drives high utilization along export pipelines and incremental OPEC+ barrels in competing demand markets weigh on relative heavy oil prices, said Wood Mackenzie analyst Dylan White.
"Any major supply disruptions (especially from Russia/Venezuela) would introduce upside risk to relative WCS prices," White said.
Global oil prices fell more than $2 a barrel on Wednesday, weighed down by an OPEC report saying global oil supply will match demand in 2026, marking a further shift from its earlier projections of a supply deficit.