Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Gasoline refining margins end week higher

LONDON, May 9 (Reuters) - Northwest European gasoline profit margins rose by about 55 cents to $15.92 a barrel on Friday, ending the week around 6.4% higher.

• A total of 8,000 metric tons of Eurobob E5 barges traded in the Argus window on Friday, with Gunvor selling to BP, Shell and TotalEnergies.

• No Eurobob E10 barges traded on Friday.

• "Despite a build in U.S. and ARA gasoline inventories this week, cracks strengthened, driven by improved demand expectations ahead of the peak summer driving season," said LSEG analyst Mohammed Yasser.

• Gasoline stocks in Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) rose 7% to 1.29 million metric tons during the week to Thursday, according to data from Dutch consultancy Insights Global.

• Stocks jumped higher because of an increase in gasoline blending activity in the ARA region, said Insight Global's Lars van Wageningen.

• Blending margins for E10 gasoline are currently profitable, which has supported demand for blending components including naphtha, said analyst Jorge Molinero of Sparta Commodities.

• Naphtha spot physical prices in Europe have also been supported recently by disruptions to supply in the Mediterranean, Molinero said, after a major power outage in Spain and Portugal in late April forced several refineries to briefly shut down.​

• EU and UK gasoline and blending component exports to other regions are expected to reach 1.03 million barrels per day in May, down slightly from 1.08 million bpd in April, Kpler data showed.