New York  (Platts)--13Jul2007

August crude futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange opened 50 cents
higher at $73.00/barrel Friday tracking with the Brent market. 

     Maintenance and a shut-in pipeline that could affect production in the
North Sea and tighter balances in Europe have cause the WTI/Brent spread to
blow out to over $4/barrel.

     "Much of this premium appears justified given tighter European crude
balances than is the case in the US," energy consultant Jim Ritterbusch said
in a report. "Furthermore, since the Brent market does not have a large supply
cushion that currently exists on the US Gulf Coast region, it has been more
sensitive to heightened tensions out of insecure supply regions such as
Nigeria."

     August RBOB opened 57 points higher at $2.2720/gal and August heating oil
opened 1.23 cents higher at $2.1080/gal. 

		--Linda Rafield, linda_rafield@platts.com