NSea Crude-Forties firmer on strong demand, margins

* BP buys Forties from Total at dated plus 20 cents

* Shell holds 9 of 12 Forties available, still bidding

* Norwegian grades offered below Wednesday's levels

LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - Forties crude oil differentials
rose on Thursday, supported by heavy interest from oil majors BP
and Shell and stronger refining margins.

However, differentials for Norwegian crude oil grades edged
lower.

FORTIES FOT-E

* In the trading window, BP bought Total's July 4-6 Forties
cargo at dated BFOE plus 20 cents. BP also bid for July 1-8
Forties up to dated plus 5 cents.

* Shell bid July 3-8 Forties up to August cash minus 80
cents, which is around dated plus 10-15 cents.

Shell was reported to hold nine of the 12 Forties cargoes
loading in the period July 1-10 with Total holding one and BP
with two after Thursday's deal.

NORWEGIAN GRADES

* Norwegian state-controlled producer StatoilHydro offered
five crude cargoes on Wednesday, all for loading in the first
half of July, at lower asking prices than on Wednesday (premiums
over dated BFOE)

(Wednesday's levels in brackets):

- Oseberg July 9 at +1.00 (+$1.15)

- Oseberg July 12 at +1.00 (+$1.15)

- Gullfaks July 10 at +1.45 (+$1.60)

- Gullfaks July 12 at +1.50 (+$1.60)

- Aasgard July 5 at +0.95 (+$1.05)

REFINING MARGINS

* Processing margins for Brent in Rotterdam through both
complex and topping refineries have improved as outright crude
prices have dipped and light product prices have increased.

Complex margins rose to $1.80 per barrel on Thursday from an
average of under $1.55 over the last five days. Simple refining
margins are at over $3.50 from an average of $3.00 for the last
15 days.

SWAPS

* CFDs were assessed at the following levels at 1530 GMT
(Tuesday's levels in brackets):

- 22-26/6 Aug -0.95 (-$1.14)

- 29-03/7 Aug -0.98 (-$1.07)

- 6-10/7 Aug -0.90 (-$0.93)

- 13-17/7 Aug -0.78 (-$0.79)

- 20-24/7 Aug -0.62 (-$0.62)

- 27-31/7 Aug -0.45 (-$0.44)

ICE MINUTE MARKER

The ICE set its August Brent afternoon marker at $71.06 a
barrel, up from $70.05 on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Joe Brock; editing by Anthony Barker)