Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Cracks firm on stocks draw

LONDON, Oct (Shenzhen: 000069.SZ - news) 13 (Reuters) - Gasoline cracks firmed on the back of falling stocks in the United States, a major outlet for European product, while inventories in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region remained low.

* U.S. gasoline stocks fell by 1.9 million barrels last week, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.5 million barrel-drop.

* The gasoline surplus has largely evaporated as U.S. stockpiles are now just 1.6 percent higher than at the same point in 2015, according to government data, whereas in July they were 12 percent higher than in the previous year.

* Stocks of refined oil products held independently in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp oil hub fell to a near two-year low in the week to Thursday, Dutch consultancy PJK International said. Gasoline stocks rebounded slightly last week after hitting their lowest level this year.

* Egyptian General Petroleum Corp (EGPC) issued a buy tender for 30,000 or 33,000 tonnes of 95-octane gasoline. The tender closes Oct. 17.

* Russian oil major Rosneft, along with European trader Trafigura and Russian fund UCP (NYSE: UCP - news) , will acquire 98 percent in India's Essar Oil (BSE: ESSAROIL.BO - news) for about $12-$13 billion including debt, two sources familiar with the deal told Reuters on Thursday.

GASOLINE

* No barges of benchmark Eurobob gasoline traded but a bid surfaced in the window at $506 a tonne fob ARA.

* Elsewhere during the day, around 8,000 tonnes traded at $503-$505 a tonne fob ARA, down from $506-$521 a tonne the previous day. Gunvor, BP and Statoil (LSE: 0M2Z.L - news) sold to Glencore (Xetra: A1JAGV - news) and Varo.

* Rolympus sold to Total (LSE: 524773.L - news) one barge of premium unleaded gasoline at $521 a tonne fob ARA, up from $519 a tonne.

* The November swap stood at around $493 a tonne at the close, up from $490.50 a tonne.

* Gasoline barge refining margins fell slightly to $10.52 a barrel, compared with $11.29 a barrel at the close on Wednesday.

* Brent crude oil futures for December delivery were up 18 cents a barrel at $51.99 by 1544 GMT.

* U.S. November RBOB gasoline futures were 1.33 percent higher at $1.4814 a gallon.

* The U.S. gasoline crack (RB-CL1=R) was trading at $11.73 a barrel, up from $11.39 a barrel on Wednesday.

NAPHTHA (NAF-C-NWE)

* Gunvor sold a cargo to BP at $435 a tonne cif NWE for Nov. 3-7 delivery, up from a $432 a tonne deal on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Julia Payne; Editing by Mark Potter)