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Urals differentials firm as freight costs decline

Urals crude differentials firmed against dated Brent on Friday as freight expenses started to decrease.

* Lower freight rates and fewer charge costs at the Turkish straits are supporting Urals crude costs at Russian ports.

* Freight rates for Aframax ships, which typically load some 720,000 barrels of Urals crude in Primorsk or Ust-Luga for a one-way voyage to Indian ports, fell below $8 million per trip to average some $7.5 million, as need for ice-class vessels is expected to alleviate.

PLATTS WINDOW

* There were no bids or deals for CPC Blend, Azeri BTC or Urals oil in the Platts window on Friday.

NEWS

* Leading oil exporter Saudi Arabia might keep term prices of crude it offers to Asian consumers little bit changed in April versus March following a minor rise in Middle East criteria prices, numerous trade sources said.

* Russian oil giant Rosneft is beginning the sale of its German properties and wishes to conclude the process by September when the next duration of Berlin's trusteeship over them ends, the German federal government said on Friday.