LONDON: Gasoline margins were underpinned by falling stocks in northwest Europe but gains were tempered by US data showing higher than expected inventories and supply length in the Mediterranean.
The gasoline barge crack swap firmed to its highest since end April at $11.97 a barrel after US data showed a slight draw on Wednesday.
Gasoline stocks also fell in Europe at independently held storage units in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp hub. Stocks dropped by nearly 8 percent, on higher export volumes to regular outlets such as North and Latin America, West Africa and the Middle East, according to Dutch consultancy PJK International.
Russian state oil firm Rosneft is struggling to close its $12.9 billion acquisition of India's Essar Oil because six of Essar's Indian creditors have yet to approve the deal, sources close to the talks said.
GASOLINE
No trades of benchmark Eurobob gasoline emerged during the afternoon trading window. There were no bids or offers.
Elsewhere, 4,000 tonnes traded at $522.50 a tonne fob Amsterdam-Rotterdam up from $500-$511 a tonne on Wednesday.
Shell sold two barges of premium unleaded gasoline to Total at $527 a tonne fob ARA, up from $516 a tonne fob ARA a day earlier.
The June swap stood at around $523.50 a tonne at the close, up from $514.50 a tonne.
Brent crude futures were 70 cents a barrel higher at $50.92 a barrel by 1535 GMT.
Gasoline barge refining margins were at $13.74 a barrel against $12.66 a barrel on Wednesday.
US front-month RBOB gasoline futures were 0.02 percent higher at $1.5627 a gallon.
The RBOB crack versus US crude stood at $17.64 a barrel, up from $17.33 a barrel at the previous close.
In the Mediterranean, three cargoes were offered while no bids surfaced. Total offered a cargo at $515 a tonne on a free-on-board basis (fob) for May 24-28. Total offered a cargo at the Platts fob Med mean price. BP offered a cargo at $516 a tonne fob Med loading May 22-26.
NAPHTHA
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