Platts proposes Bakken Blend crude assessments

Platts is proposing to launch on May 3, 2010, daily spot assessments of Bakken Blend crude injected at Guernsey, Wyoming, and at Clearbrook, Minnesota. These assessments would be named Bakken Blend ex-Guernsey and Bakken Blend ex-Clearbrook.

The Bakken Blend ex-Clearbrook assessment would reflect an API gravity ranging from 38-40 degrees and 0.5% sulfur, the same stream sometimes associated with the name North Dakota Sweet. The Bakken Blend ex-Guernsey assessment would reflect API gravity of 38-40 degrees and 0.2% sulfur, the same stream sometimes associated with the name North Dakota Light Sweet.

Trades with a minimum 1,000 b/d quantity would be taken into account for assessment, and smaller volumes would be normalized to this volume basis. Both assessments will reflect injection in the first forward month, and will roll over on the 20th of each month to the next forward month.

These assessments would be published on Platts Global Alert page 171 and 596, in Crude Oil Marketwire, North American Crude Wire, Oilgram Price Report and Platts Dispatch. For further details please send inquiries to Matthew Cook at matthew_cook@platts.com and a cc to pricegroup@platts.com by March 31, 2010.