Credit: REUTERS/Todd KorolFeb 2 (Reuters) - Western Canada Select (WCS) crude's discount to the benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was broadly steady on Thursday:
* WCS for March delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, settled at $22.90 a barrel below WTI, according to brokerage CalRock, the same level as Wednesday's close. Earlier in the session WCS widened to $23.10 a barrel under U.S. crude.
* Canadian heavy crude is steadying after weakening in the second half of last year, when a number of factors including the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve release, U.S refinery outages and high natural gas prices dampened demand for heavy sour barrels.
* Oil sands producers Imperial Oil IMO.TO and MEG Energy MEG.TO both said this week that they expect WCS prices to strengthen throughout 2023.
* Global oil prices settled lower as U.S. industrial-linked factory orders dipped, while the dollar strengthened, making crude more expensive for non-American buyers.O/R
* The outright price of WCS was just under $53 a barrel.
(Reporting by Nia Williams; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)
((nia.williams@thomsonreuters.com ; +1 403 607 9846; Reuters Messaging: nia.williams.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
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