Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Cracks gains on WAF exports, maintenance

LONDON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Gasoline refining margins in northwest Europe rose above $10 a barrel on Friday, supported by growing exports to West Africa and refinery maintenance in the Atlantic Basin.

* West Africa continued to draw some volumes from Europe with around three vessels booked over the past day, according to traders and shipping data. West Africa demand has historically increased in October and November.

* Gasoline exports from Europe to the U.S. East Coast sharply slowed down in recent days.

* Around 400,000 to 500,000 tonnes of reformate are expected to ship from Europe to China in October, but high inventories in China and strong European cracks are limiting buying, according to traders.

* Royal Dutch Shell (LSE: 0LN9.L - news) has bought more gasoline from the Singapore cash window on Friday, bringing its total purchases since Wednesday to 450,000 barrels or over 65 percent of the volumes transacted in the last three days, traders said.

* Naphtha has come under increasing pressure as the arbitrage to Asia remained closed as stocks in the regions rose due to petrochemical plant maintenance.

* Irving Oil plans on shutting down its the 70,000-barrel-per-day gasoline-making unit at its Saint John, New Brunswick, refinery over the next 24 hours for roughly three weeks of planned work, according to two sources familiar with the plant's operations.

* China's exports of gasoline and naphtha for the remaining three months of the year could be high as the government has set its fourth-quarter fuel export quota for state-owned and independent refiners at a total of 3.47 million tonnes.

* U.S. shale gas will displace a growing portion of the world's expanding energy demand, cutting into the need for oil products from refineries, BP's head of refining economics said on Friday.

GASOLINE

* No barges of benchmark Eurobob traded.

* Some 12,000 tonnes of winter gasoline traded earlier in the day at $489-$492 a tonne fob Amsterdam-Rotterdam, compared with $487 a tonne on Thursday. Gunvor sold to Varo, BP and Koch.

* Rolympus sold to Total (LSE: 524773.L - news) 5 barges of premium unleaded traded at $506-$510 a tonne fob ARA.

* The October swap stood at $492 a tonne at the close, up from $489 a tonne.

* Gasoline barge refining margins rose to $10.03 a barrel from $9.6 a barrel on Thursday.

* Brent crude oil futures for December delivery were up 15 cents a barrel at $49.96 by 1606 GMT.

* U.S. October RBOB gasoline futures were up 1.23 percent at 1.4849 a gallon.

* The U.S. gasoline crack (RB-CL1=R) was trading at $13.18 a barrel, up from $12.77 a barrel a day earlier.

NAPHTHA (NAF-C-NWE)

* Glencore (Frankfurt: 8GC.F - news) sold a cargo to BP at $418 a tonne cif ARA, up from Thursday's trade at $417 a tonne.

(Reporting by Ron Bousso)