North Sea Crude-Forties rises on tighter Sept supply

* Forties bid up for September loading
* September supply decline, quality rise to support Forties
* Swaps backwardation widens at front

LONDON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - North Sea Forties crude
differentials rose on Wednesday, as expected, as participants
bid for September cargoes which are in tighter supply and higher
in quality.
Maintenance at the Buzzard oilfield in September will both
reduce supply and improve the quality of the Forties blend
because of the loss of Buzzard's relatively sulphurous crude,
propping up prices.
Traders expected Forties to rise after a dip in prices on
Tuesday, when an August cargo traded.

FORTIES BFO-FOT
* There were three bidders in the Platts window and the
highest bid was from Mercuria, biding the Sept. 5-7 period to
dated plus 50 cents.
* That was up from a deal on Tuesday for an Aug. 28-30
Forties at dated plus 20 cents.
* Shell offered an earlier, Aug. 30-Sept. 1 cargo down to
dated plus 10 cents.

OTHER GRADES
* Statoil has sold most of its crude for loading in the
first three weeks of September.

SWAPS
* The backwardation at the front of the swaps curve widened
out, again:
20-24/8 Oct +220
28-31/8 Oct +195
3-7/9 Nov +235
10-14/9 Nov +175
17-21/9 Nov +115
24-28/9 Nov +73

DATABASE
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(Reporting by Alex Lawler; Editing by Alison Birrane and Helen
Massy-Beresford)