Aramco starts trading US crude

LONDON, Feb 15 (Reuters): Saudi state oil company Aramco has started trading a US crude oil grade that underpins the global Brent benchmark in a process run by oil-index publisher S&P Global Commodity Insights, the publisher said.

Aramco on Monday sold a cargo of WTI Midland crude to Total in the Platts Market on Close process, known as the Platts window, after last Thursday selling another cargo of the US crude.

These were Aramco's first WTI trades in the window, Joel Hanley, S&P global director of crude and fuel oil markets, said via email on Monday. Aramco declined to comment.