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

HOUSTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Crude grades were mixed on Friday, dealers said, as the WTI/Brent spread remained wide but domestic refinery demand fell.

The spread between WTI and Brent supported prices, trading as wide as minus $5.50 during the session. A spread larger than minus $4 typically encourages export demand, driving prices higher.

U.S. oil refiners are expected to have about 1.30 million barrels per day (bpd) of capacity offline in the week ending January 30, decreasing available refining capacity by 188,000 bpd, research company IIR Energy said on Friday.

Offline capacity is expected to fall to 1.24 million bpd in the week ending February 6, IIR said.

• Light Louisiana Sweet for March delivery was steady at a midpoint of a $1.78 premium and was seen bid and offered between a $1.70 and $1.85 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1 ​

• Mars Sour rose 10 cents to a midpoint of a 90-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a $1.00 and 80-cent a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures CLc1 ​

• WTI Midland fell 5 cents to a midpoint of a 85-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between a 75-cent and 95-cent a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1 ​

• West Texas Sour fell 5 cents to a midpoint of a $2.15 discount and was seen bid and offered between a $2.25 and $2.05 a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures CLc1 ​

• WTI at East Houston , also known as MEH, traded between a $1.10 and $1.30 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CLc1 ​

• ICE Brent March futures LCOc1 fell 2 cents to settle at $70.69 a barrel on Friday​.

• WTI March crude CLc1 futures fell 21 cents to settle at $65.21 a barrel on Friday​.

• The Brent/WTI spread narrowed 19 cents to to last trade at minus $5.10, after hitting a high of minus $5.10 and a low of minus $5.50