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

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Coastal grade Mars Sour firmed on Friday, dealers said, as the discount between Brent and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude widened for a fifth straight session.

India's Bharat Petroleum Corp bought one million barrels of U.S. Mars crude from Shell SHEL.L, sources said, as a part of 3.7 million barrels of crude oil spot purchases from West Africa, United States and the Middle East this week to replace oil from Russia.

Mars gained 35 cents, while WTI Midland eased 5 cents.

The spread between Brent and WTI widened to minus $4.45 earlier in the session. A spread larger than minus $4 typically encourages exports.

State-owned QatarEnergy has raised the term premium for al-Shaheen crude oil loading in January as demand rose from Indian refiners seeking alternatives to replace Russian oil, four trade sources said on Friday.

On the supply side, Baker Hughes said oil rigs rose by three to 417 this week, their highest since October 24.

In refining news, U.S. oil refiners are expected to have about 790,000 barrels per day of capacity offline in the week ending November 14, increasing available refining capacity by 176,000 bpd, research company IIR Energy said on Friday.

• Light Louisiana Sweet for December delivery eased by 30 cents to a midpoint of a $1.00 premium and was seen bid and offered between a 80-cent and $1.20 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1 ​

• Mars Sour firmed to a midpoint of a 90-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a $1.10 and 70-cent a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures CLc1

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• WTI Midland eased at a midpoint of a 45-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 25-cent and 65-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1

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• West Texas Sour firmed to a midpoint of a 80-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a $1.00 and 60-cent a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures CLc1 ​

• WTI at East Houston, also known as MEH, traded between a 60-cent and $1.00 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1 ​

• ICE Brent January futures LCOc1 rose $1.38 to settle at $64.39 a barrel on Friday​

• WTI December crude CLc1 futures rose $1.4 to settle at $60.09 a barrel on Friday​

• The Brent/WTI spread widened 7 cents to last trade at minus $4.44, after hitting a high of minus $4.30 and a low of minus $4.45