SUBSCRIBER NOTE: Platts assesses Forties de-escalator at 15 cents/b for Dec

Effective Tuesday, December 1, 2016, the sulfur de-escalator to be applied to Forties cargoes and related instruments in the Platts North Sea assessment process will be 15 cents/b per 0.1% weight of sulfur over the 0.6% weight standard, unchanged from November.

The de-escalator should apply to cargoes loading from December 1, 2016.

S&P Global Platts has assessed this de-escalator level after reviewing the change in outright crude value, the differential between low and high sulfur products, as well as the difference in value between North Sea crudes and comparable heavy, sourer crudes, such as Urals.

A rationale for this decision will be available shortly on the Platts website, www.platts.com, and can be accessed directly using the URL http://plts.co/ZEWBE. Platts guidelines for its sulfur de-escalator use three significant figures for determination of sulfur-related payment.

The test reflecting this figure should be the ASTM-D2622.

Forties cargoes and all related instruments, including BFOE cash forwards, bid or offered through the Platts system must adhere to this standard.

In addition, Platts will publish the sulfur de-escalator, representing the dollar value per 0.1% weight of sulfur, in its crude oil publications.

Please send comments to oilgroup@platts.com and pricegroup@platts.com.