WAfrica Crude-Asian buying tenders underpin prices

* Dozen October Nigerian, Angolan cargoes still unsold
* Five big Asian buying tenders pending, offering support
* Nigerian Qua Iboe steady around dated Brent plus $2.20

LONDON, Sept 18 (Reuters) - West African crude oil
differentials steadied on Tuesday on news of new Asian buying
tenders that are likely to soak up much of the recent overhang
of surplus spot cargoes.
Two more Asian tenders were announced, bringing to five the
number of major formal purchase requirements now open. Several
of the tenders may take 2-4 cargoes and together they could
remove up to a dozen 1 million barrel West African crude oil
cargoes from the market.
Although most of the tenders now open are primarily for
cargoes lifting in November, end-October barrels can also be
delivered into several of them, trader said.
"This will slow down the trading in end-October and early
November cargoes but make sellers a bit more relaxed," said a
trader at a large Western refiner. "It is bullish."

NIGERIA
* Qua Iboe: BP and Exxon have both sold their end-October
Qua Iboe cargoes, traders said, clearing the rest of the
programme. Recent deals were said to have been at close to dated
Brent plus $2.20, well below previous offers at plus $2.50.
* Escravos: two more cargoes are due to lift at the end of
September, bringing the number of stems in September to six,
traders said. Escravos was said to be worth around dated Brent
plus $2.20.
* November loading schedules for Nigerian crudes were
expected to be released by Thursday, traders said.

ANGOLA
* Only 2-3 end-October Angolan cargoes were still unplaced,
traders said, including a Girassol and a Kissanje.
* Angola is due to export around 1.67 million barrels per
day (bpd) of crude oil in November in 52 cargoes, close to the
initial loading schedule for October, the preliminary export
programme showed.
* Girassol: Total was reported to be offering a Girassol for
loading Oct. 30 - Nov. 1 at dated Brent plus 60 cents, but
buyers said to be around plus 20 cents.
* Kissanje: assessed around dated Brent flat to plus 10-20
cents, traders said.
* Cabinda: last trade at around dated Brent plus 10 cents
and November talk expected to be at or slightly above that
level.
* No November-loading spot Angolan cargoes were reported
sold yet as traders discussed term exchanges.

TENDERS
* India's Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) has tendered to buy
one or more cargoes of light, sweet crude loading in November,
tender documents show. Quality offers to the oil refiner must be
submitted by Sept. 14 and price offers by Sept. 17 and must
remain valid until Sept 19.
* Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) has
tendered to buy 600,000 barrels of low sulphur crude oil loading
in November on an fob or delivered basis, tender documents
showed on Thursday. Quality offers must be submitted by Sept. 18
and must remain valid until Sept. 21.
* Indian Oil Corp (IOC) has tendered to buy more light,
sweet crude for loading in November. Price offers into the
tender are due to be submitted by Wednesday and results are
expected by Thursday. IOC frequently takes West African cargoes
and is likely to buy four cargoes, traders said.
* Petral, the Singapore-based trading arm of Indonesian
state oil company Pertamina, has tendered to buy light, sweet
crude for loading in November, traders said. End-October barrels
could be delivered into the tender, they added.
* CPC Taiwan is also looking to buy light, sweet crude via
tender for November loading, traders said.

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(Reporting by Christopher Johnson; Editing by Hugh Lawson)