A Reuters survey cited by Jin10 indicates Saudi Arabia is weighing a higher official selling price (OSP) for crude sold to Asia in October, following a rally in Middle East spot crude markets driven by tighter supply and stronger demand.

The poll of five refinery sources shows Arab Light, the flagship grade, may be priced at parity with the Oman/Dubai average or at a premium of up to $4 per barrel, implying a rise of $2 to $6 per barrel from September. In September, Saudi Arabia’s Asia OSP was set at a discount—the lowest level in six years.

The anticipated increase comes as Middle East spot markets strengthened, with the Dubai crude spot premium to swaps rising to $13.58 per barrel on August 21, the highest since late May. The monthly average premium this month was about $9.71 per barrel, versus $1.26 per barrel in July, and Oman crude spot differentials also strengthened by a similar magnitude.