SINGAPORE- Middle East crude benchmark Dubai extended gains for a second session on Thursday, supported by Shell's purchases, while Russian ESPO premiums held steady in recent trading price range.

In its third tender, Surgutneftegaz sold two cargoes at $2.60-$2.70 a barrel above Dubai quotes, and a third cargo loading at end-September at $2.30-$2.40 a barrel. ChemChina, Vitol and Trafigura may have bought the cargoes.

Paramount Energy and Gazpromneftegaz have also sold three cargoes at premiums of $2.60-$2.70 a barrel.

For Middle East crude, SOMO sold 1 million barrels of Basra Light crude for August-loading to a western buyer, probably Petrobras, at a small premium to its official selling price. SOMO did not award a tender to sell 2 million barrels of Basra Medium crude.

Taiwan's CPC bought one Upper Zakum crude cargo at $2.20-$2.30 a barrel above Dubai quotes.

For regional crude, Santos sold an August-loading Van Gogh to Vitol via a tender although the price was not immediately known.

 

REFINERY

Israel's largest refining and petrochemicals group, Oil Refineries, said on Thursday it would invest $1.5 billion to become a cleaner energy company as it faces a government push to shut down more polluting factories. 

 

NEWS

Oil pricing agency S&P Global Platts said on Wednesday discussions with industry show opinion is focused on two possible additions to the dated Brent benchmark - Johan Sverdrup crude, and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Midland crude. 

Iran has opened its first oil terminal in the Gulf of Oman, President Hassan Rouhani said on Thursday, to allow Iranian tankers to avoid using the strategically vulnerable Strait of Hormuz, which has been a focus of regional tension for decades. 

U.S. crude oil stockpiles rose last week, breaking a streak of eight weeks of declines, as imports surged to their highest in a year, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. 

Global commodity trader Mercuria is aggressively expanding its energy transition business, snapping up employees from oil majors BP Plc and Royal Dutch Shell, according to three people familiar with the matter and employee LinkedIn profiles.

(Reporting by Florence Tan; editing by Uttaresh.V) ((Florence.Tan@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: florence.tan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))