SINGAPORE, Nov 28 (Reuters) - Asia's gasoline margins climbed on Thursday as demand picked up heading into the festive and winter season in the Western hemisphere.
The crack rose to $7.46 per barrel over Brent crude, its highest since Aug. 2.
Regional traders said that with tariffs likely to be imposed on China and Mexico by the incoming Trump administration, they expect more oil to be diverted to the Asian markets with the potential impact on refining margins and regional supply being their top concerns.
In tenders, Mangalore's MRPL was offering 75,000 metric tons of 95-octane gasoline for the Dec. 15-16 loading period, according to the company's website. The tender closes on Nov. 29.
In naphtha, the margins snapped a four-session losing streak to inch up to $85.70 per metric ton over Brent crude.
INVENTORIES
Singapore's light distillate stocks fell by 1.82 million barrels to a four-week low of 13.344 million barrels in the week ending Nov. 27, data from Enterprise Singapore showed.
U.S. gasoline stocks rose by 3.3 million barrels in the week ended Nov. 22 to 212.2 million barrels, while distillate stockpiles , rose by 400,000 barrels to 114.7 million barrels in the week ending Nov. 22, the Energy Information Administration said.
NEWS
Oil prices drifted lower on Thursday after a surprise jump in U.S. gasoline inventories.
Oil producers in Canada and Mexico will likely be forced to reduce prices and divert supply to Asia if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump imposes 25% import tariffs on crude imports from the two countries, traders and analysts said.
The OPEC+ alliance of oil-producing countries has postponed its next meeting on output policy to Dec. 5 from Dec. 1 to avoid a conflict with another event, OPEC said on Thursday.
SINGAPORE CASH DEALS
Two gasoline deals and no naphtha trade.
PRICES
CASH ASIA CLOSE Change Prev Close RIC
OSN Naphtha CFR Japan M1 629.00 -1.00 630.00
($/mt)
OSN Naphtha CFR Japan M2 627.00 -1.00 628.00
($/mt)
OSN Naphtha Diff ($/mt) 2.00 0.00 2.00 > Naphtha Netback FOB Sing 67.89 -0.06 67.95 ($/bbl) Naphtha Diff FOB Sing 0.40 0.00 0.40 > Naphtha-Brent Crack 85.70 2.97 82.73 ($/mt) > Gasoline 97 ($/bbl) 84.94 0.00 84.94 Gasoline 95 ($/bbl) 85.60 0.00 85.60 Gasoline 92 ($/bbl) 79.90 0.00 79.90 Gasoline crack ($/bbl) 7.46 0.53 6.93 K> For a list of derivatives prices, including margins, please double click the RICs below. Brent M1 Naphtha CFR Japan M1 > Naphtha CFR Japan M1/M2 > Naphtha CFR Japan M2 > Naphtha Japan-Sing Netback M1 > Naphtha Japan-Sing Netback M2 > Naphtha FOB Sing M1 > Naphtha FOB Sing M1/M2 > Naphtha FOB Sing M2 > Naphtha Cracks M1 > East-West Naphtha M1 East-West Naphtha M2 NWE Naphtha M1 NWE Naphtha M1/M2 > NWE Naphtha M2 Crack NWE Naphtha-Brent M1 > Crack NWE Naphtha-Brent M2 > *Sing refers to Singapore (Reporting by Haridas; Editing by Eileen Soreng) ((Haridas.X@thomsonreuters.com;))
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