North Sea Crude-Ekofisk diffs edge lower on expected rise in supply

LONDON, Sept 1 (Reuters) - * North Sea Ekofisk crude differentials edged lower on Thursday after preliminary loading programmes for October showed supply of this stream will rise to a six-month high.

* Supply of the four North Sea crude oil grades that underpin the Brent oil benchmark will rise slightly in October from a three-month low in September, according to trade sources and loading programmes issued on Thursday.

* Output of Brent itself, Forties, Ekofisk and Oseberg (BFOE) will average about 793,000 barrels per day (bpd) in October, based on the loading schedules, up from 780,000 bpd in September after taking revisions into account.

* Supply of Ekofisk will rise to 271,000 bpd, from 260,000 bpd in September, its highest since April this year, according to the schedules. (NSEA-BBL-EKO)

* North Sea differentials have been under pressure this month as a persistent overhang of unsold crude has weighed on the market. With (Other OTC: WWTH - news) three aframaxes, one suezmax and one VLCC anchored off Hound Point, there are 5 million barrels of Forties in floating storage.

WINDOW SUMMARY

EKOFISK/FORTIES

* Vitol sold Glencore (Xetra: A1JAGV - news) a cargo of Ekofisk for Sep (Shanghai: 600021.SS - news) 14-16 at 10 cents above dated Brent.

* Glencore bid for a cargo of Ekofisk for Sep 25-Oct (Shenzhen: 000069.SZ - news) 2 at dated Brent plus 30 cents.

* Total (LSE: 524773.L - news) bid for a cargo of Ekofisk for Sep 20-22 at dated Brent plus 15 cents.

* Petroineos bid for Forties for Sep 19-24 at a 20 cent discount to dated Brent.

* Glencore bid for Forties for Sep 27-Oct 3 at 5 cents above dated Brent. (Reporting by Amanda Cooper; Editing by David Goodman)