主题：标题党：沙特明年放弃美元　改采一篮子货币计价售油 -- 云无心而出岫

CLIMATE CHANGE: US envoy rules out China climate deal

The Financial Times reports that Todd Stern, Barack Obama's climate change envoy, said yesterday that China and the US will not sign a landmark agreement on climate change policies when the US president visits Beijing next month. Stern said the two governments would seek a common understanding on the issue and would deepen co-operation on clean energy, but would not reach an agreement on carbon emissions targets. As the two biggest emitters of carbon, the US and China are central to any new international agreement on global warming, and the fact no landmark deal will be agreed underlines the weak position of the US on climate change until new legislation is passed by Congress.

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OIL TRADING: Nymex blow as Saudis drop benchmark

Saudi Arabia has decided to abandon the West Texas Intermediate oil contract as the benchmark for pricing its crude oil, in what the Financial Times describes as a blow to the New York Mercantile Exchange. The move by the world's largest oil exporter threatens the dominance of WTI as the most heavily traded oil futures contract and could encourage other oil producers to follow suit. The FT says the decision reflects the growing discontent of Riyadh and its US refinery customers with WTI after the price of the benchmark became separated from the world oil market last year. Beginning in January, Saudi will base the price of oil for US customers on the new Argus Sour Crude Index developed by London-based oil p ricing company Argus. The index will track a basket of US Gulf Coast crudes. ExxonMobil, Marathon and Valero are noted to be among the biggest US buyers of Saudi crude.