BP ANS crude loaded on foreign-flagged vessel for export

After loading a cargo of ANS crude, the Tianlong Spirit is moving in the North Pacific Ocean towards Asia. VesselFinder.com photo.

BP ANS crude vessel may be heading for Asia

By Liz Hampton

HOUSTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) – British oil company BP Plc has loaded a cargo of Alaskan North Slope (ANS) crude for export, according to two trade sources and Reuters Trade Flows data, the latest indication that exports of Alaskan crude are becoming less rare.

The crude loaded on the Cascade Spirit, a Bahamas-flagged Suezmax tanker. While its destination was not immediately clear, the vessel is currently moving in the North Pacific Ocean towards Asia, according to Reuters Vessel Tracking data.

Click here for video: CEO Mike Swihart explains how well automation reduces costs, boosts production for Permian Basin operators. Systems start at $3,000 fully installed by Production Lift Technologies of Midland, Texas.

A spokeswoman for BP declined to comment on the cargo.

In July, BP confirmed it had chartered the Tianlong Spirit, another Bahamas-flagged Suezmax ship, for the export of Alaskan North Slope crude.

ANS is almost exclusively transported to refineries on the U.S. West Coast using U.S. flagged vessels owned by BP, ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil that comply with domestic maritime laws.

The flurry of ANS exports this year, which include a small shipment to Nicaragua and two vessels to Asia, underscores a shift underway in global trade flows, as producers of Alaskan North Slope crude eye new markets for their oil.

ANS had been excluded from the decades-long ban on exporting U.S. crude, which was lifted in December 2015.

(Reporting by Liz Hampton; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Bernard Orr)