LONDON, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Differentials for Nigerian crude
grades continued to firm on Thursday despite persistently high
freight rates due to U.S. sanctions on subsidiaries of China's
key shipping company.
* Relatively firm refining margins were helping to buoy the
market, traders said.
* The offer level on the final cargo of Nigerian Escravos
loading Dec. 26-27 was raised to dated Brent plus $4.10, up from
plus $3.50 earlier this week, a trader said.
* Exxon Mobil has increased its offer levels for Nigerian
Qua Iboe to dated Brent plus $3.60 from plus $2.50 on Monday,
traders said. It sold one mid-month cargo this week and still
has two end-December cargoes to sell.
* Angolan state firm Sonangol sold its 750,000-barrel cargo
of Gimboa to India's Reliance after offering it at around dated
Brent plus $2.00.
* Less than 15 Angolan cargoes remain from the December
programme.
TENDERS
* Indian Oil Corp closed a buy tender for West African crude
loading Jan. 1-10. Vitol was said to be the winner though grade
details did not immediately emerge.
* Turkey's Tupras bought a cargo of Bonny Light loading Dec.
10-11, delayed to 16-17, via tender from Vitol.
RELATED NEWS
* Angola expects to announce the winners of its 2019 oil and
gas licence auction round in April as part of a multi-year plan
to boost declining output, a senior executive at the National
Agency of Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels (ANPG) said on Thursday.