Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Gasoline margins edge higher

LONDON, Feb 21 (Reuters) - Northwest European gasoline refining profit margins rose on Friday to $9.38 a barrel but ended the week around 9% lower.

• A total of 8,000 metric tons of E5 gasoline barges traded, as TotalEnergies and Vitol sold barges to BP, Vitol and Mabanaft.

• Another 8,000 tons of Eurobob E10 barges traded as Trafigura and TotalEnergies sold barges to BP and Varo.

• A 98 Ron gasoline barge traded, with Trafigura selling 1,000 tons to ExxonMobil at March swap +$52.00.

• "Despite declines in both ARA and U.S. gasoline stocks, cracks decreased due to low U.S. demand, as reported by the EIA," LSEG analyst Mohammed Yasser said.

• Gasoline stocks independently held in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage hub fell by 4% on the week, their second decline in a row, data from Dutch consultancy Insights Global showed.

• Gasoline stocks stood at 1.46 million metric tons, falling on higher exports, Insights Global's Lars van Wageningen said.

• U.S. gasoline stocks USOILG=ECI fell by 151,000 barrels last week to 247.9 million barrels, the Energy Information Administration said, compared with expectations in a Reuters poll for a 6,000-barrel draw.