LONDON, April 19 (Reuters) - Northwest European gasoline refining margins rose to above $22 a barrel on Friday, as lower regional stocks supported.
A total of 6,000 metric tons of Eurobob E10 traded, and another 9,000 metric tons of E5 traded.
Gasoline stocks held in independent storage in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage hub dropped by
over 13% during the week to April 18, the lowest since early February, data from Dutch consultancy Insights Global showed.
Gasoline stocks declined to 982,000 metric tons after strong exports to Brazil and Canada, Insights Global's Lars van Wageningen said.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will temporarily expand sales of higher-ethanol blends of gasoline this summer in an effort to reduce potential supply disruptions amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, it said in a letter dated Friday.
- Refinery maintenance shutdowns are also supporting shutdowns.
- "The wave of global refinery turnarounds is set to peak in April at 3.7 million barrels per day offline," JP Morgan said in a note.
- Stronger gasoline refining margins compared to those for producing diesel could lead refiners to shift more production towards gasoline, traders said.
Trade Bid Offer Prev. Buyer Seller Ebob $919-$ Trafigu Varo Barges 920 (4 ra MOC bargesPlatts E5 ) (fob ARA)
Ebob Barges E10 Platts(fo b ARA) Ebob $917 $919-$9 Trafigu Varo, Barges (9KT) 19.25 ra Litasco Argus (4KT) , GST E5(fobAR)
Ebob $915.2 $913.75 BP ExxonMo Barges 5 (4KT) bil, E10 Argus (6KT) Varo(fob AR) May swap $914.2 (fob ARA) 5
Premium $934-$ $933 Trafigu Musket Unleaded 936 (5 ra,(fob ARA) barges Varo
(cif NWE) Naphtha May +$6 (cif NWE)
Ebob crack (per barrel) $22.16 Prev. $20.738 Brent futures LCOc1 Rbob RBc1 Rbob crack RBc1-CLc1
