Nov 7 (Reuters) - The discount on Western Canada Select

to North American benchmark West Texas Intermediate futures

widened on Friday.

WCS for December delivery in Hardisty, Alberta, settled at

$11.65 a barrel under the U.S. benchmark WTI, according to

brokerage CalRock, compared to Thursday's close of $11.45.

* The differential is higher than last month but remains

tight by

historical standards.

* Analysts point to strong international buying of Canadian

crude

off the Pacific coast via the Trans Mountain pipeline,

especially by China. Buying of Canadian barrels for re-export

out of the Gulf Coast has also been stronger than usual in

reaction to additional sanctions on Russia.

* Canadian pipeline operator Enbridge ENB.TO said on Friday

it

plans early next year to formally gauge commercial interest in a

second phase of capacity expansion on its Mainline crude

pipeline network, which carries oil from Western Canada to

markets in Eastern Canada and the U.S. Midwest. The company said

if the project goes ahead, it could add 250,000 barrels per day

of additional capacity on the Mainline by 2028, helping to meet

rising demand for export access from Canadian oil shippers.

* Globally, crude prices recovered from a midday dip on

Friday on

hopes Hungary can use Russian crude oil as U.S. President Donald

Trump met Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White

House.