By Alexander Kwiatkowski
March 12 (Bloomberg) — Forties crude, one of the four North Sea grades that determine the pricing benchmark for two-thirds of the world’s oil, rose to near a record as gasoil demand increased oil consumption. Vitol Group bought a cargo from BP Plc.
Forties’ premium to Dated Brent was at $1.75 a barrel today, compared with $1.40 yesterday, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Forties reached a record premium of $2 over Dated Brent in August 2004.
North Sea crude oil has strengthened as record gasoil prices in Europe increase the profitability of refining and encourage fuel producers to buy more oil. The difference between gasoil and crude futures contracts was at $23.13 a barrel in London today, about 62 percent higher than the year-to-date average.
The price of Forties rose after Vitol bought a cargo of Forties from BP at a premium of $1.75 to Dated Brent, the companies confirmed. Royal Dutch Shell Plc also bid for a cargo without attracting a seller, the company said.
Dated Brent is set by the cheapest of four crude grades: Shell’s Brent blend, the BP-operated Forties, StatoilHydro ASA’s Oseberg and ConocoPhillips’s Ekofisk blend. Forties is currently the cheapest grade.
Dated Brent for loading in 10 to 21 days rose 1.4 percent to $107.20 a barrel today, from $105.73 yesterday, according to Bloomberg data.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alexander Kwiatkowski in London at [email protected]
Last Updated: March 12, 2008 07:55 EDT
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
