Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Gasoline refining profit edge higher

LONDON, Dec 31 (Reuters) - Northwest European gasoline refinery profit margins rose by 41 cents to $9.27 a barrel on Wednesday, supported by higher buying activity.

• About 14,000 metric tons of Eurobob E5 gasoline traded on barges in the Argus window as ExxonMobil and Glencore sold to Varo and BP.

• Another 10,000 tons of Eurobob E10 gasoline barges traded in the session, with ExxonMobil selling to Varo.

• U.S. gasoline inventories rose by 6.2 million barrels last week, market sources said, citing American Petroleum Institute figures on Tuesday.

• A Ukrainian drone attack injured two people and sparked a fire that was quickly extinguished at the Tuapse oil refinery, the operational headquarters of Russia's Krasnodar region said on Wednesday.

• The strike damaged refinery equipment, one port berth and five homes - windows were broken in four apartment blocks and a private house - the Krasnodar operational headquarters said on the Telegram messaging app.

• Meanwhile, EU-27 and UK gasoline exports to other regions have averaged 737,000 barrels per day in December, down from 903,000 bpd across the full month of November.