Urals and Mediterranean crude stable as traders eye Alaska summit

Urals and Mediterranean crude differentials to dated Brent were stable on Friday, as market participants switched focus to an Alaska summit between the US and Russian presidents.

Black Sea CPC Blend values firmed this week, amid earlier Asian demand and lower exports in September, according to trade sources.

CPC Blend crude oil exports will reach just short of 1.6 million barrels per day in September, three trade sources told Reuters, down from 1.66 million bpd scheduled to load in August.

No fresh price discussions were reported to Reuters on Azeri BTC crude this week, as traders continued to assess the extent and impacts of a recent organic chloride contamination issue.

No deals, bids or offers were reported to Reuters for Urals, Azeri BTC or CPC Blend in the Platts window on Friday.

Donald Trump said he wanted to see a ceasefire "today" as he headed to Alaska on Friday for a summit with Russia's Vladimir Putin to help end the deadliest war in Europe since World War Two.

Russia's August exports of ultra low-sulphur diesel from the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk are scheduled to rise by 3.2 per cent from July to 1.3 million tonnes, two traders said on Friday.

Ukraine struck the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region in an overnight attack and also hit a Caspian Sea port and cargo vessel used to transport military supplies from Iran to Russia the previous day, Kyiv said on Friday.

(Reporting by Robert Harvey; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)