Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Gasoline cracks drop for third day

LONDON, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Gasoline refining margins in northwest Europe dropped on Wednesday for a third day in a row as U.S (Other OTC: UBGXF - news) . gasoline futures plummeted despite a draw in weekly stocks.

* U.S. gasoline stocks fell 2.8 million barrels last week, the second-biggest weekly draw since mid-April, compared with expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.1 million-barrel drop, according to EIA data.

* Gasoline imports into the U.S. East Coast (PADD1) rose sharply last week to 794,000 barrels per day, up nearly 200,000 bpd from the previous week.

* European transatlantic gasoline exports slowed down sharply in August, with around 600,000 tonnes booked so far to go from Europe to the U.S. East Coast, Mexico and Canada, according to Reuters shipping data.

* Egypt's EGPC issued a tender to buy two cargoes of gasoline for August delivery, according to traders.

* Trading activity in Europe was slow.

GASOLINE

* Gunvor sold to Varo one barge of benchmark ebob gasoline in the afternoon window at $428 a tonne fob ARA, down from $440 a tonne on Tuesday.

* Some 12,000 tonnes traded throughout the day at $437-$443a tonne fob Amsterdam-Rotterdam, compared with $437-$441 a tonne. Gunvor and Vitol sold to Shell (LSE: RDSB.L - news) .

* Three barges of premium unleaded gasoline traded at $442 a tonne fob ARA, down from $452 a tonne. Rolympus and Vitol sold to Total (LSE: 524773.L - news) .

* Gasoline barge refining margins fell to $8.88 a barrel, from $9.17.

* The September swap stood at around $433 a tonne at the close, down from $444.50 a tonne.

* Brent crude oil futures were down 82 cents $44.16 a barrel by 1606 GMT.

* U.S. August RBOB gasoline futures were down 2.74 percent at 1.3103 a gallon.

* The U.S. gasoline crack (RB-CL1=R) was trading at $13.10 a barrel, down from $13.75 a barrel.

NAPHTHA (NAF-C-NWE)

* No naphtha cargoes traded. Offers were seen at $344 a tonne cif NWE. (Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar)