Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Gasoline cracks slide as overhang weighs
LONDON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Gasoline refining margins in northwest Europe fell for a second consecutive session to below $9 a barrel on Tuesday as overseas demand failed to ease a persistently high supply overhang on both sides of the Atlantic (Shanghai: 600558.SS - news) .
* While gasoline tanker bookings to West Africa and the United States have picked up in recent days, a big overhang in the Atlantic basin is dampening prospects for a market rebalance, traders said.
* Gasoline stocks held by European refiners in July were 14.7 percent higher than a year earlier, data from industry monitor Euroilstock showed on Tuesday, as plants sought to maximise production.
* Nigerian state oil company managing director Maikanti Baru said he has "not been directed to increase pump price" for gasoline.
* Baru said the request for foreign currencies from gasoline importers has been met, and the government supply is "robust" with more than 1.4 billion litres.
* Some importers had struggled to get the access to U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . dollars needed to buy fuel, even after the central bank floated the naira currency in June.
* U.S. and Mexican refinery outages have been giving gasoline cracks a floor.
* Mexico has increased its gasoline buying in August to some 600,000 tonnes due to refinery outages.
GASOLINE
* Gunvor sold to BP one barge of benchmark ebob gasoline in the afternoon window at $440 a tonne fob ARA, down from $444 a tonne on Monday.
* Some 20,000 tonnes traded throughout the day at $437-$441 a tonne fob Amsterdam-Rotterdam, compared with $442.50 a tonne on Monday. Gunvor sold to Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) , Varo, and BP.
* Eleven barges of premium unleaded gasoline traded at $452 a tonne fob ARA, down slightly from $453 a tonne. Rolympus and Litasco sold to Total (LSE: 524773.L - news) .
* Gasoline barge refining margins fell to $8.87 a barrel, from $9.63.
* The September swap stood at around $444.50 a tonne at the close, down from $446 a tonne.
* Brent crude oil futures were little changed at $45.42 a barrel by 1540 GMT.
* U.S. August RBOB gasoline futures were down 0.58 percent at 1.3541 a gallon.
* The U.S. gasoline crack (RB-CL1=R) was trading at $13.75 a barrel, down from $14.83 a barrel.
NAPHTHA (NAF-C-NWE)
* No naphtha cargoes traded. (Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar)