In a bid to increase oil revenues and possibly setting the stage for its own benchmark crude grade, Iraq has told customers it may change the way it prices Basra crude for the Asian market, Reuters reported on Monday, quoting a letter by Iraq’s state oil marketing company SOMO it had seen. According to SOMO’s letter, the company is asking customers for input regarding a plan to change the Basra crude pricing for Asia to Dubai Mercantile Exchange (DME) Oman futures beginning next year, dropping the average of Oman and Dubai quotes by S&P Global Platts. “In an effort to realize the intrinsic value of our crude exports to Asia as to be in alignment with the recent market perception, we are contemplating a change of the current pricing formula for the Asian market,” Reuters quoted SOMO’s letter as saying. The letter is dated August 20 and asks for […]