North Sea Crude-Forties edges up as Sept loadings fall; Vitol offers STS cargoes

LONDON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - * North Sea Brent crude differentials fell to their lowest in two weeks on Tuesday, while Forties differentials edged up after the September-loading programme shrank.

* In terms of flows, Vitol withdrew an offer for a cargo of Forties for loading via ship-to-ship transfer at Scapa Flow from the VLCC Marbat, which loaded on Aug 11. It is currently off the coast of West Africa, having turned around on its way to Asia, according to Reuters shipping data.

* Two cargoes of Forties, parcels F0916 and F0917, held currently by Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) , have been dropped from the September loading programme, two trading sources said.

* This brings the programme down to 16 cargoes, or a rate of 320,000 barrels per day, from an originally planned 18 cargoes, or 360,000 bpd.

* Ekofisk cargo C11979 was also deferred to Sep (Shanghai: 600021.SS - news) 22-24.

* The Stride, currently chartered by BP, loaded at Hound Point, but has now joined two VLCCs, a suezmax and an aframax anchored off the coast.

* Shipping lists show Exxon has chartered the Esther Spirit, an aframax, to load an as-yet unspecified crude at Scapa Flow to sail to the U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . Gulf Coast. Shipping and trade sources said the identity of the charterer was not yet clear.

* Despite the dated Brent contango holding within sight of three-month lows, cheap freight rates have encouraged some traders to store unwanted crude on tankers for the last couple of months.

WINDOW SUMMARY

FORTIES

* Vitol sold Petroineos a cargo of Forties for loading Sep 10-12 at a discount of 15 cents to dated Brent.

* Vitol sold Shell a cargo of Forties for loading Sep 13-15 at a premium of 5 cents to dated Brent.

* Petroineos bid for a cargo of Forties for loading Sep 12-17 at a discount of 20 cents to dated Brent.

* Petroineos bid for a cargo Forties Sep 17-25 at parity with dated Brent.

* Unipec bid for a cargo of Forties Sep 7-11 at 10 cents below dated Brent.

* Gunvor bid for a cargo of Forties Sep 12-14 at 20 cents below dated Brent.

* Hartree bid for a cargo of Forties Sep 15-22 at 15 cents below dated Brent.

* Vitol offered a cargo of Forties Sep 16-18 at 15 cents above the dated price.

* Vitol withdrew an offer for a cargo of Forties Sep 10-15 via STS at Scapa Flow from the VLCC Marbat at 5 cents above dated Brent.

* Petroineos withdrew a bid for a cargo of Forties for loading Sep 5-11 at a discount of 15 cents to dated Brent.

BRENT

* Vitol sold Gunvor a cargo of Brent for loading Sep 4-6 at a discount of 65 cents to the dated price.

* Total (LSE: 524773.L - news) bid for a cargo of Brent for loading Sep 14-17 at a discount of 10 cents to the dated price.

EKOFISK/OSEBERG

* Total bid for a cargo of Ekofisk Sep 14-16 at 25 cents above the dated price.

* Statoil (LSE: 0M2Z.L - news) offered a cargo of Oseberg for loading Sep 20-22 at 95 cents above dated Brent.

* Statoil offered Ekofisk Sep 22-24 at a premium of 65 cents to dated Brent.

* Eni (LSE: 0N9S.L - news) offered a cargo of Ekofisk for loading Sep 13-15 at 35 cents above dated Brent. (Reporting by Amanda Cooper; Editing by Susan Fenton)