US Cash Crude - Grades rise on wider spreads

NEW YORK Aug 10 (Reuters) - U.S. cash crude differentials strengthened Monday as the calendar spread and WTI to Brent crude spreads widened sharply.

Heavy Louisiana Sweet HLS- rose as much as 50 cents to $3.00 a barrel above West Texas Intermediate CLc1, versus +$2.50 on Friday. Light Louisiana Sweet LLS- was up 10 cents to +$4.10, while Mars MRS- rose 5 cents to 45 cents a barrel above WTI.

Widening spreads typically strengthen crude grades.

The spread between WTI futures for September delivery and October delivery widened to $2.06 a barrel after settlement, from $1.75 per barrel late Friday CL-1=R. The bigger discount for prompt crude encourages storage buying of cash crudes.

WTI traded at a $2.89 a barrel discount to Brent crude late Monday CL-LCO1=R, versus a $2.62 a barrel discount late Friday.

Oil futures fell 15 cents a barrel to $70.78 after settlement, after earlier trading above $71 a barrel.

Refinery margins rose in most U.S. regions last week, according to a weekly report from Credit Suisse. [ID:nN10464529]

Other grades traded included West Texas Sour WTS-, which rose as much as 10 cents to -$1.10, up from $1.20 below WTI on Friday. Thunder Horse THH- grade traded for $2.85 a barrel above WTI, up from +$2.00 in a past trade on August 4.

On the West Coast, Alaska North Slope crude ASW- last dealt last Tuesday at 25 cents a barrel under WTI for September delivery. ANS for October delivery sold last Thursday at 35 cents under.

Buyers of California crudes cut posted prices by 35 cents a barrel. ==========================================================

DATA LINKS: Energy Speed Guide ENERGY Crude Speed Guide <CRUDES/1> NYMEX WTI futures <0#CL:> ICE Brent futures <0#LCO:> US crude prices PPGR US crude differentials BRNV Freight rates <0#FRT->

NEWS LINKS: NYMEX Market reports [O/N] ICE market reports

[O/L] US Cash crude deals [CRU/TU] Foreign crude deals [CRU/T] Dirty tanker news [TAN/CRU] Dirty tanker fixtures [TAN/D] Weekly US oil data [EIA/S] US crude outlook [US/CRU] US Refinery outages [REF/US] US Cash oil products [PRO/U] US products outlook [US/PRO] .............. (Reporting by Joshua Schneyer; Editing by David Gregorio)