Canadian heavy crude is trading at near‑record premiums in Asia, underscoring the case for a planned west‑coast export pipeline. S&P Global Platts shows September deliveries of Cold Lake crude into South Korea fetched a $9.50/bbl premium to the Dubai benchmark, a record; month‑to‑date the premium averages $4.33/bbl, after trading at a discount before the Iran war broke out. By contrast in the U.S., Canadian barrels are weakening: General Index data show Alberta's Western Canada Select (WCS) disc

Canadian heavy crude is trading at near‑record premiums in Asia, underscoring the case for a planned west‑coast export pipeline. S&P Global Platts shows September deliveries of Cold Lake crude into South Korea fetched a $9.50/bbl premium to the Dubai benchmark, a record; month‑to‑date the premium averages $4.33/bbl, after trading at a discount before the Iran war broke out. By contrast in the U.S., Canadian barrels are weakening: General Index data show Alberta's Western Canada Select (WCS) discount to monthly‑average WTI futures widened to $28.25/bbl last week, the largest gap in nearly four years.