Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Gasoline cracks slide, exports cap losses

LONDON, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Gasoline refining margins in northwest Europe fell sharply on Tuesday as crude prices advanced, but stronger export demand to the U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . and West Africa and refinery outages provided a floor.

* Declining inventories on both sides of the Atlantic (Shanghai: 600558.SS - news) opened the arbitrage out of Europe to the U.S. East Coast, with several winter-grade gasoline cargoes booked in recent days.

* Around 1.5 million tonnes of gasoline and naphtha have been booked on the transatlantic route to load in August, according to Reuters shipping data.

* Interest in shipping gasoline from the Mediterranean region to the Middle East has also picked up this month.

* Arbitrage economics for sending reformate from ARA to China are improving, traders said.

* Petroineos chartered the MR Aquarius to load a 40,000 tonne cargo at the UK port of Finnart on Sept. 1 to go to China, according to shipping reports.

* Refinery outages in Europe are also tightening the market and boosting margins.

* Total (LSE: 524773.L - news) has shut down the fluid catalytic cracker at its 102,000 bpd Grandpuits refinery for maintenance lasting several days, a spokesman said.

* Romania's 100,000 bpd Constanta oil refinery is running at reduced capacity after a fire on the vacuum distillation unit on Monday.

* Graphic: Global refined oil stocks (http://tmsnrt.rs/2br1O3U)

GASOLINE

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

* Some 8,000 tonnes traded in the morning at $474-$475 a tonne fob Amsterdam-Rotterdam, compared with $485-$486 a tonne fob on Monday. Gunvor and Total sold to Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) and BP.

* There were no trades of premium unleaded gasoline barges. Bid and offer discussions emerged at $495-$497 a tonne fob ARA, little changed from trade the previous day.

* The September swap stood at around $489.50 a tonne at the close, up from $486 a tonne.

* Gasoline barge refining margins fell to $7.73 a barrel, from $9.50 a barrel on Monday.

* Brent crude oil futures were up 72 cents at $49.88 a barrel by 1543 GMT.

* U.S. August RBOB gasoline futures were up 0.62 percent at 1.4934 a gallon.

* The U.S. gasoline crack (RB-CL1=R) was trading at $11.48 a barrel.

NAPHTHA (NAF-C-NWE)

* Trafigura sold to Koch a cif NWE cargo at $397 a tonne, up from trade on Monday at $389-$390 a tonne

* The naphtha crack was at around minus $4.68 a barrel, little changed. (Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar)