Middle East Crude-Benchmarks at more than two-month low on selling pressure

SINGAPORE, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Spot premiums for Middle East crude benchmarks Oman, Dubai and Murban drifted lower on Wednesday, as traders continued to sell while elevated freight costs weighed on buying appetite.

The premiums were at their lowest since the start of August.

In the spot market, ADNOC sold December-loading crude oil cargoes to refiners across Asia in its latest spot tender, traders said on Wednesday, with volumes placed in key markets including India, China, Taiwan and Japan.

SINGAPORE CASH DEALS

Cash Dubai’s premium to swaps fell 61 cents to $7.35 a barrel.

BP will deliver a December-loading Oman crude cargo to Trafigura following the deals.

Glencore will deliver a December-loading Murban crude cargo to Trafigura following the deals.

Unipec will deliver two December-loading Oman cargoes, one each to Trafigura and ExxonMobil, following the deals.

PRICES ($/BBL)

NEWS

The headquarters of Saudi Arabia's state-owned oil company, Saudi Aramco, in the eastern city of Dhahran, was attacked on Tuesday night, causing what the kingdom's energy ministry said in a statement was a limited fire, as fighting between Yemen's Iran-allied Houthis and the kingdom intensified.

China's September crude oil imports dropped 21.5% from a year earlier, customs data showed, with higher refinery runs and delayed crude arrivals contributing to the biggest monthly draw in the country’s onshore crude inventories in analysts’ records.

Constrained diesel supplies could persist well into next year as large counter-seasonal stock drawdowns have combined with restricted production ahead of peak winter demand, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly oil market report.

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