SINGAPORE, June 26 (Reuters) - Middle East crude benchmarks Oman, Dubai and Murban differentials posted sharp losses this week to hit their lowest levels in at least five years.

The slide came as improved shipping transit via the Strait of Hormuz and Middle Eastern producers offered more crude to the market.

Crude prices sank 2% on Friday and were headed for steep weekly losses amid easing supply concerns as more stranded oil tankers exited the strait, even though a cargo vessel was hit near Oman on Thursday. O/R

FLURRY OF TENDERS

QatarEnergy has issued a tender to sell crude for July-to-August loading, likely its first since the U.S.-Iran conflict began, trade sources said on Friday.

The producer is offering its al-Shaheen, Marine Qatar and Marine Land crude. Buyers can load or lift via ship-to-ship transfer between Fujairah and Sohar, according to a tender document seen by Reuters.

The tender will close on June 29.

The offer adds to rising supplies from Middle Eastern producers. Iraq's state oil marketer SOMO issued a tender on Thursday offering to sell Basra Heavy and Basra Medium oil in July. O/TEND

Kuwait Petroleum Corp sold 2 million barrels of crude oil via a tender for delivery in July, a trade source said on Friday.

The producer sold the Kuwait Export Blend (KEC) crude cargo to an end-user in India at an undisclosed price on a delivery ex-ship basis, the source added.

SINGAPORE CASH DEALS

Cash Dubai's premium to swaps fell 7 cents to minus $1.71 a barrel.

PRICES ($/BBL)

NEWS

Saudi Arabia is likely to sharply cut its official selling prices (OSPs) for crude oil to Asia in August to a four-month low, a Reuters survey showed, after spot crude markets tumbled on rising Middle Eastern supplies.

A ship belonging to Evergreen Marine 2603.TW was hit by an unknown object off Oman but has now safely departed the Strait of Hormuz, the Taiwanese company said on Friday.

South Korea will lower its cap on fuel prices as part of efforts to curb inflation pressure, the finance minister said on Friday.

A short-term glut has pushed oil futures back to pre-war levels as Middle East exports jump, analysts said and price data shows, but returning demand and a slow normalisation could tighten the market next year.

For crude prices, oil product cracks and refining margins, please click on the RICs below.

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Crude oil tenders in Asia                       CRU/TENDA
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Refinery outages in Asia                        REF/OUT-ASIA-O      
Global arbitrage news and flows                 O/CRUDEARB      
W.African crude imports to Asia,  monthly       O/WAFRICA1      
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India     O/INDIA2   S.Korea O/KOREA1      
Indonesia O/INDO1-CRU         
                       
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Asia outlook            ASIA/CRU Europe outlook       EUR/CRU      
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TOCOM crude oil  futures               0#JCO:      
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