The discount on Western Canada Select crude oil to North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate futures narrowed on Friday.
WCS for June delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, settled at $16.30 a barrel, below the U.S. benchmark WTI, according to brokerage CalRock, compared to $17 in mid-April.
* While the discount has narrowed, the price marks the steep differential for heavy Canadian crude since the start of the U.S. war on Iran.
* The WCS differential has been volatile since the start of conflict and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has sharply reduced crude exports from the region and left energy importers scrambling for alternative supplies.
* Oil prices weakened on Friday with Tehran still blocking the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. Navy blocking exports of Iranian crude.
(Reporting by Arathy Somasekhar in Houston; Editing by Tasim Zahid)