LONDON, May 7 (Reuters) - A month of planned maintenance hasstarted at the North Sea loading terminal for Forties crude,which helps set the Brent benchmark, an industry source said onThursday, preventing VLCC loadings.
Hound Point's Jetty 1 is the key loading berth for verylarge crude carriers (VLCCs), so the closure makes movingForties to far-flung destinations like Asia more difficult andhas weighed on the price of Forties.
The facility's operator, BP, said in March Jetty 1would close for maintenance from May 6 to June 8. BP could not immediately be reached onThursday.
In 2014, spring maintenance at Jetty 1 lasted for about sixweeks, during which time Forties differentials slumped tomulti-year lows. (Reporting by Alex Lawler, editing by David Evans)