W. Africa Crude-Programmes for small Nigerian grades slow to emerge

LONDON, Feb 21 (

Reuters

) - Trade was limited with traders focused on meetings during IP Week in

London

and with still no sign of April loading programmes for Nigeria's Akpo condensate, Amenam, Ebok, Okono, Yoho and

Oyo

. * Only a handful of March-loading Nigerian cargoes were still available while April offers had yet to surface. * Chinese independent, or teapot, refiners are bringing in rare cargoes of North American heavy crude in a new long-distance flow that traders say has only been made possible by OPEC's output cuts and ample supplies in

Canada

and the

United States

. * Adding to the North American volumes, a higher than usual amount of

North Sea

crude is heading east but this has failed to put a dampener on Angolan grades.

Dalia

and Pazflor were being offered at premiums to dated Brent, one trader said. Usually the grades trade at significant discounts. TENDERS * India's

BPCL

issued a buy tender for one or more cargoes loading between March 26 and April 15. The first part closes on Feb. 24 and the second on Feb. 28 with offers valid until the end of the same day. * A tender from India's

MRPL

for 1 million barrels of April-loading crude was expected to close this week. *

Thailand

's

PTT

has issued a buy tender for sweet crude for arrival between March 20 and April 10. (Reporting By Julia Payne; Editing by David Goodman and

Susan Fenton

) ))