CAIRO/HAMBURG - Egypt's state grains buyer GASC is believed to have bought an estimated 60,000 metric tons of wheat in direct negotiations with trading houses on Friday without issuing an international tender, traders said in initial assessments.

It was all believed to have been bought at around $270 a metric ton C&F and was expected to be sourced from Bulgaria. No more details were immediately available.

As no international tender has been issued, reports are based on estimates from traders and more detailed assessments of tonnage bought and prices are still possible later.

GASC on Wednesday bought 240,000 tons of wheat in an international tender.

(Reporting by Sarah El Safty in Cairo and Michael Hogan in Hamburg)