Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Gasoline cracks recover amid steady exports

LONDON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Gasoline refining margins in northwest Europe rose sharply on Friday to nearly $9 a barrel amid steady exports out of the region.

* Exports to West Africa have risen significantly in recent days, supporting European prices, after a long lull in traffic on the route due to cash liquidity problems in the Nigeria, traders said.

* Exports to the U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . East Coast have been maintained at a steady pace, though significantly lower then previous months.

* So far in August, around 700,000 tonnes of gasoline have been booked out of Europe and the Mediterranean to North America, according to Reuters shipping data.

* Gasoline stocks independently held in the ARA storage hub fell for a third straight week, dropping more than 5 percent in the week to Thursday as overseas demand for the motor fuel grew, Dutch consultancy PJK International said.

GASOLINE

* There were no Eurobob trades during the afternoon trading window.

* Some 8,000 tonnes traded throughout the day at $441-$447 a tonne fob Amsterdam-Rotterdam, compared with $422-$439 a tonne on Thursday. Litasco, Gunvor and Total (LSE: 524773.L - news) sold to Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) and Rolympus and BP.

* Seven barges of premium unleaded gasoline traded at $472-$474 a tonne fob ARA, up from $458-$460 a tonne. Rolympus and Koch sold to Total.

* Gasoline barge refining margins rose to $8.78 a barrel from $6.5 a barrel.

* The September swap stood at around $451 a tonne at the close, up $445.50 a tonne.

* Brent crude oil futures were up 56 cents to $46.60 a barrel by 1542 GMT.

* U.S. August RBOB gasoline futures were down 0.36 percent at 1.3574 a gallon.

* The U.S. gasoline crack (RB-CL1=R) was trading at $12.74 a barrel, down from $13.25 a barrel.

NAPHTHA (NAF-C-NWE)

* Shell sold a cargo to Gunvor at $359 a tonne cif NWE, up from Thursday's trade of $355 a tonne cif NWE. (Reporting by Ron Bousso)