MOVES-BP Asia crude book leader to retire in Q4 - traders

SINGAPORE, Aug 14 (Reuters) - BP's book leader for Asia crude trading, Chu Said Thong, will retire from the company in the fourth quarter, two traders with knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

Chu, who worked at BP during most of his career, is well-known for playing a key role in the Asia-Pacific crude market. Under his helm, BP became one of the top three buyers of Malaysian crude, the traders said.

"He's an institution by himself in BP," one of the traders said. "It's going to be tough to imagine a BP without Chu."

BP could not be immediately reached for comment. (Reporting by Florence Tan; Editing by Biju Dwarakanath)