The discount on Western Canada Select (WCS) heavy crude versus the North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) narrowed on Thursday:
* WCS for February delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, settled at $12.75 a barrel under the WTI benchmark, according to brokerage CalRock, having settled at $12.80 a barrel under the U.S. benchmark on Wednesday.
* Global oil prices settled lower on Thursday with Yemen’s Houthi militia expected to halt attacks on ships in the Red Sea, and investors weighing strong U.S. retail sales data.
(Reporting by Georgina McCartney in Houston; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi)