US WCoast Products - Gasoline climbs on refinery work

HOUSTON, March 17 (Reuters) - Gasoline gained on Monday in the Los Angeles wholesale market as a southern California refinery began a planned overhaul, traders said.

March-delivery L.A. CARBOB gasoline sold up 1 cent a gallon at a 6.5-cent discount under April NYMEX RBOB gasoline in L.A.

Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX - news) said its 139,000 barrel per day (bpd) Los Angeles refinery was performing maintenance on unidentified units as of Monday.

March CARBOB retreated by 2 cents a gallon in the San Francisco Bay market to a 4-cent-a-gallon discount to April NYMEX RBOB as Tesoro Corp. said it completed an overhaul on a unit at its 166,000 bpd Martinez, California refinery.

CARBOB gasoline is mandated by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for use in the state and meets more stringent anti-pollution standards than the gasoline required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in most of the country. CARBOB is made to blend with ethanol.

EPA gasoline in the Portland, Oregon market gained 2 cents a gallon at 9 cents a gallon under April NYMEX RBOB gasoline as Royal Dutch Shell Plc (Xetra: R6C1.DE - news) 's 145,000 bpd Anacortes, Washington refinery was performing planned maintenance.

As with gasoline, CARB also requires a state-specific, ultra-low-sulfur diesel with a more stringent formula than EPA diesel.

L.A. March CARB diesel rose 1 cent a gallon to 6.5 cents a gallon under April NYMEX heating oil.

Bay market March CARB diesel rose 2.5 cents to a 4.5 cents a gallon under April NYMEX heating oil.

Portland EPA diesel was seen again at 1 cent a gallon over April heating oil. (Reporting by Erwin Seba; Editing by Diane Craft)