Algeria raises Saharan Blend crude Jan price

LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Algeria's state oil company Sonatrach has raised its official selling price for Saharan Blend crude for January from December, the company said on Thursday.

The January price was set at plus $1.15 per barrel to dated Brent versus plus 93 cents in December.

(Reporting by Dmitry Zhdannikov)

(([e-mail], [phone], Reuters Messaging: [e-mail]))

Keywords: ALGERIA OSP/



* Follows Capeco bankruptcy filing after explosion

* Traders expand storaging business worldwide



LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Puma Energy, a subsidiary of trader Trafigura, said on Thursday it has bought fuel storage and distribution firm Capeco in Puerto Rico, in yet another step to expand its assets base and storaging operations worldwide.

Capeco, or Caribbean Petroleum Corp, filed for bankruptcy protection in a Delaware court earlier this year after a massive explosion at its major Puerto Rican fuel storage depot virtually shut down the company's operations.

In its Chapter 11 petition, Capeco listed assets in the $100 million to $500 million range and liabilities in the $500 million to $1 billion range.

Puma said it had agreed to pay a total of $82 million for the assets, including Capeco's entire retail network of 157 retail sites, gasoline, diesel and other fuel storage facilities and undeveloped land along with a private deep water jetty.

Historically Capeco supplied 15 percent of the island's clean products consumption, said Puma, which already operates the 48,000 tonne Guaynabo oil storage terminal in Puerto Rico.

Puma has more than 30 subsidiaries in 24 countries and has been instrumental in Trafigura's drive to expand outside trading and buy assets to optimise its business and supply chains, a path that many traders have taken in past years.

One of Trafigura's main competitors, Vitol, has expanded its terminal business and wants to become one of the world's largest players in the coming years.

Trafigura this week bought 8 percent in the world's top nickel producer, Russia's Norilsk, to a big surprise to the markets which have traditionally seen rival trader Glencore as the main player in Russia.

(Reporting by Dmitry Zhdannikov; editing by Sue Thomas) Keywords: TRAFIGURA CAPACO/ ([e-mail], [phone], Reuters Messaging: [e-mail]) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.