Oil slips as Saudi Arabia offers more crude via Oman; diesel near record high

Sept 16 (Reuters) - Oil prices fell on Wednesday as reports that Saudi Arabia was offering additional crude cargoes via Oman eased concerns about the scale of Middle East supply disruptions, while European diesel prices hovered near a record ‌high.

Brent crude futures were down $1.30, or 1.2%, at $107.45 a barrel by 1307 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were down $1.96, or 1.85%, ‌at $103.87.

Oil prices gained more than $3 in the previous session after shipping industry sources said crude loadings at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea export hub of Yanbu had been suspended and ​Riyadh had cancelled some cargo deliveries to European customers, deepening concerns that disruptions to a critical export route could persist for weeks.

However, Saudi Arabia is offering more loadings of crude oil to Asian refiners via ship-to-ship transfer off Oman's Sohar port after drone attacks damaged its oil pipeline to the Red Sea, people familiar with the matter said.

"News around Saudi Arabia exporting from the Gulf suggests concerns that the disruption could be larger are easing," said UBS ‌analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

Visible vessel passage through the Strait ⁠of Hormuz remained in the single digits at four on Tuesday, down from seven a day earlier, preliminary shipping data showed on Wednesday. That was well below the 10-day average of 18.

The waterway handled a fifth of the ⁠world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply before the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in late February.

Macquarie analysts said flows of crude, condensate and refined products through the Strait of Hormuz had remained resilient despite escalating hostilities in the region and may have risen to more than 7.5 million barrels per day since ​fighting ​resumed on August 30. They said the link between developments in the strait ​and oil flows had weakened.

Citi expects near-term escalation in the ‌Middle East to continue supporting crude oil and refined fuel prices before the Strait of Hormuz eventually reopens in the fourth quarter of 2026 with support from regional diplomatic efforts, the bank said in a note.

European gasoil futures, a benchmark for diesel prices, rose to their highest intraday level since April on Tuesday before settling at a record high, underscoring tightness in fuel markets, though they also eased on Wednesday.

"Diesel's strength reflects a product-specific shortage layered on top of expensive crude," said Frank Walbaum, market analyst at Naga.com.

"Europe has lost substantial diesel and jet fuel supply from the ‌Middle East, while ongoing tensions in Eastern Europe have disrupted output at several major ​Russian refineries and prompted Moscow to restrict fuel exports."