May 13 (Reuters) - The discount on Western Canada Select (WCS) heavy crude versus the North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate $(WTI)$ held steady on Monday:
* WCS for June delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, settled at $12.75 a barrel below WTI, according to brokerage CalRock, unchanged from Friday's closing price.
* Canadian heavy crude has strengthened this month as the 590,000 barrel per day (bpd) Trans Mountain pipeline expansion $(TMX)$ started commercial operations, although the first oil tanker is not expected to load at Westridge dock in the Port of Vancouver until the second half of May.
* Global oil prices rose as signs of improving demand in the U.S. and China, the top two oil consumers, aided the bounce from the previous session's $1 a barrel slide.
(Reporting by Nia Williams in British Columbia; Editing by Alan Barona)
((nia.williams@tr.com))
Comments