Med crude-Azeri BTC loadings to drop in February

LONDON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Urals and Caspian crude oil differentials were stable on Thursday, as traders digested a loading programme for Azeri BTC crude in February.

• Azeri BTC crude oil exports from the Turkish port of Ceyhan have been set at around 519,000 barrels per day in February, down by around 1% from January's scheduled total, a loading schedule seen by Reuters showed on Thursday.

PLATTS WINDOW

• No bids or offers were reported to Reuters from the Platts Window on Thursday for Urals, Azeri BTC and CPC Blend.

NEWS

• India's Reliance Industries Ltd, operator of the world's largest refining complex, said on Thursday it would consider buying Venezuelan oil if it is permitted for sale to non-U.S. buyers.

• A Russia-bound oil tanker suffered a drone attack in the Black Sea that prompted it to request Turkish coast guard assistance and divert from its course, according to a notice by Lloyd's List Intelligence and a separate maritime security source on Thursday.

• Iraq's cabinet has approved plans to nationalise operations at the West Qurna 2 oilfield, one of the world's largest, as the government looks to avert disruptions stemming from U.S. sanctions imposed on Russian stakeholder Lukoil LKOH.MM.