Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Gasoline margins firm in thin trading

LONDON, March 27 (Reuters) - Northwest European gasoline refinery profit margins rose on Friday by $1.44 to $12.25 as trading activity remained muted.

• No barges of either the winter grade Eurobob E10 or the winter E5 gasoline grade traded on Friday in the Argus window for a second consecutive session.

• In the Platts window, BP sold a single E5 barge to Trafigura.

• Total gasoline stocks held independently in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage hub fell by 6.4% on the week, data from Dutch consultancy Insights Global showed. ARA/

• Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak on Friday instructed the energy ministry to draft a resolution banning gasoline exports from April 1, the Russian government said.

• Argentina's government said on Friday it will allow local firms to voluntarily blend up to 15% ethanol into gasoline, in a bid to curb the impact from higher oil prices on local fuel costs.

• India has slashed excise duties on petrol and diesel to protect consumers and curb a potential spike in inflation, while imposing windfall taxes on aviation fuel and diesel exports, amid volatile global oil markets due to the Iran war.