North Sea Crude-Rising imports keep Brent diffs near 18-month lows

LONDON, April 26 (Reuters) - North Sea Brent crude differentials held around their weakest in around 18 months on Wednesday, under pressure from an influx of supplies from the United States and Russia that countered strong export flows.

* Almost 20 million barrels of North Sea crude, mostly Forties and Ekofisk, are currently en route to Asia, likely making May a record month for flows east.

* But imports have also picked up. Some 13 million barrels of U.S. crude and condensate, equivalent to around 113,000 barrels per day (bpd), have arrived in northwest Europe so far this year, compared with around 8.4 million barrels, or 73,000 bpd, in the same period last year.

* In addition, around 225 million barrels, or 195,000 bpd, have arrived from Russia in the region so far this year, compared with around 162 million barrels, or around 141,000 bpd last year.

* Regional supply is now meeting fierce competition from U.S. and Russian imports for buyers at a time when up to 1.5 million bpd in refining capacity is about to go offline for maintenance.

WINDOW SUMMARY

* Glencore (Frankfurt: 8GC.F - news) bid for a cargo of Ekofisk for loading May 17-20 at a discount of 5 cents to dated Brent.

* Statoil (LSE: 0M2Z.L - news) bid for a cargo of Ekofisk for loading May 20-26 at a discount of 5 cents to the dated benchmark.

* Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) offered a cargo of Brent at a discount of 65 cents to the dated price.

* Shell offered a cargo of Forties for loading May 13-15 at a discount of 35 cents to dated Brent.

* Glencore offered a cargo of Forties for loading via STS (Shanghai: 603322.SS - news) at Scapa Flow from the BW Peony for May 15-20 at a premium of 25 cents to dated Brent.

* Shell offered a cargo of Forties via STS at Scapa Flow from the Sea Lynx on May 15-19 at a premium of 25 cents to dated Brent. (Reporting by Amanda Cooper; Editing by Mark Potter)