ARA fuel stocks dip 3%, Insights Global data shows

LONDON, March 13 (Reuters) - Refined products stocks independently held in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage hub fell by around 3% on the week to 6.27 million metric tons on Thursday, data from Dutch consultancy Insights Global showed.

• Gasoline stocks fell by around 8.5% to 1.51 million tons, Insight Global data showed.

• The drop came as gasoline exports out of ARA storage picked up on the week, to Transatlantic and Middle East destinations in particular according to Insights Global's Lars van Wageningen.

• Slower gasoline blending demand, and steady imports, helped naphtha stocks rise by over 10% on the week to 433,000 tons, van Wageningen added.

• Gasoil inventories fell by 4% on the week to 2.27 million tons.

• Persistent backwardation on the gasoil forward curve disincentivised ARA storage plays over the last week, van Wageningen added, while cargo imports from outside of ARA were also slow.

• Jet kerosine stocks rose by 4.3% to 849,000 tons, the firmest since January 2, but it is too early to attribute the rise to stockpiling for the peak summer season, van Wageningen suggested.

The following table shows volumes in thousands of tons:

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