Europe Gasoline/Naphtha-Gasoline refining margins slip

LONDON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Northwest European gasoline refining margins fell by nearly $4 a barrel to $18.95 on Thursday despite a decline in regional inventories, as rising crude prices weighed on returns and trading activity slowed.

• In the Argus window, 4,000 metric tons of Eurobob E5 barges traded, with TotalEnergies and MB Energy buying from Exxon Mobil. That compared with 38,000 tons traded in the previous session.

• Meanwhile, Sahara sold a single 2,000 ton barge of Eurobob E10 to Varo.

• Gasoline product stocks independently held in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage hub fell more than 14% on the week, data from Dutch consultancy Insights Global showed on Thursday. ARA/

• Gasoline stocks fell to 707,000 metric tons, their lowest since September 2021 on higher exports and low refining margins weighing on production, Insights Global's Rick Veringmeier said.

• US crude and gasoline stocks fell in the week ended October 16, while distillate inventories rose, the US Energy Information Administration said, with the most recent data reflecting the impact of Hurricane Isaias. EIA/S