Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Gasoline refining margins jump

LONDON, March 16 (Reuters) - Northwest European gasoline refinery profit margins jumped by nearly $5.50 to $17.70 a barrel on Monday in an active trading session.

• About 15,100 metric tons of E5 gasoline barges traded in the Argus window, with Varo, Equinor, Sahara Energy and Trafigura selling to Shell, TotalEnergies, Gunvor and MB Energy.

• An additional 17,100 tons of E10 gasoline barges traded in the session with TotalEnergies, ExxonMobil, BP and Petroineos selling to Varo, Shell and MB Energy.

• Germany's federal government said it was working on a bill that would require oil companies to provide justification in advance for price increases at service stations due to the rapid rise in gasoline prices following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

• Meanwhile, China's gasoline consumption rose in February as long-distance travel during the Spring Festival increased, while output remained at a medium-to-high level and inventories along the mid- and downstream supply chain declined, according to consultancy Oilchem.