Physically traded domestic crude grades rose on Wednesday, dealers said after U.S. crude and fuel inventories dropped last week, and investors weighed a potential drop in Venezuelan supplies.
U.S. crude oil inventories fell last week as refiners continued to ramp up production, while gasoline and distillate stockpiles also dropped, the Energy Information Administration said.
Crude inventories fell by 3.3 million barrels to 433.6 million barrels in the week ended March 21, the EIA said, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 956,000-barrel draw.
On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing blanket 25% tariffs on imports from any country that buys Venezuelan crude oil and liquid fuels.
This will likely lead to more stress on the heavy crude market that Venezuela produces, said StoneX analyst Alex Hodes in a note.
* Light Louisiana Sweet (WTC-LLS) for May delivery rose $1.25 to a midpoint of a $3.00 premium and was seen bid and offered between a $2.90 and $3.10 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures 
CL1!
* Mars Sour (WTC-MRS) rose 60 cents to a midpoint of a 90-cent premium and was seen bid and offered between an 80-cent and $1 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CL1!
* WTI Midland (WTC-WTM) rose 10 cents to a midpoint of a $1 premium and was seen bid and offered between a 90-cent and $1.10 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CL1!
* West Texas Sour (WTC-WTS) rose 50 cents to a midpoint of a 30-cent discount and was seen bid and offered between a 20-cent and 40-cent a barrel discount to U.S. crude futures CL1!
* WTI at East Houston (WTC-MEH), also known as MEH, traded between a $1.25 and $1.45 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures CL1!
* ICE Brent May futures BRN1! rose 77 cents to settle at $73.79 a barrel
* WTI May crude CL1! futures rose 65 cents to settle at $69.65 a barrel
* The Brent/WTI spread (WTCLc1-LCOc1) widened 9 cents to last trade at minus $4.11, after hitting a high of minus $3.95 and a low of minus $4.14