News: Europe Distillates-Diesel margins edge lower, ARA stocks drop

LONDON, May 23 (Reuters) - Northwest European diesel barge refining margins dropped slightly to $17.8 a barrel on Thursday after data showed a 2% decline in regional stocks.

• Eight barges traded in the afternoon window, with Litasco, Shell and Total selling to BP and Vitol.
• Gasoil stocks held in independent storage in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage hub fell by 2% during the week to Thursday, data from Dutch consultancy Insights Global showed.
• The Belgian government plans to publish a royal decree that tightens the quality of motor fuel exports within days, with the new regulations expected to take effect after three months, the energy ministry said.
• U.S. distillate stockpiles USOILD=ECI , which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 379,000 barrels last week to 116.7 million barrels, Energy Information Administration data showed. This compares with expectations in a Reuters poll for a 394,000-barrel drop.
• Indian refiners' use of crude oil vessels to ship refined fuels such as diesel to key European markets has diminished in May after volumes neared two-year high levels last month, trade sources and analysts said.
• EU and UK diesel and gasoil imports are on track to reach 1.16 million barrels per day this month, Kpler data showed, broadly steady from April levels.
• "The market is finely poised with spring demand from the agriculture and transportation sectors propping up values in the face of the onslaught of flows from overseas, which is still keeping the forward market in contango," said LSEG analyst Raj Rajendran.

			   Trades  Bids	Offers  Previous  Seller  Buyer 
									   Session			
 0.1 GO Barge		  June							   

diffs fob -$14 ARA per tonne

GO-ED-ARA 0.1 GO Cargo diffs cif NEW per tonne

GO-CND-NWE 0.1 GO Cargo diffs cif Med per tonne

GO-CND-MED 50ppm barge June diffs fob -$3 ARA per tonne Diesel Trades Bids Offers Previous Seller Buyer

									   Session			
 Diesel barge  June	June	June	June	  Litasc  Vitol, 
 diffs fob	 -$1-$1  -$1.50  flat	+$0.50	o,	  BP 
 ARA		   .75					 (9KT)	 Shell,   
 per tonne									   Total	

Diesel cargo June diffs cif +$18 NEW per tonne Diesel cargo June diffs cif +$6 Med per tonne

 >														
														  
 Jet fuel	  Trades  Bids	Offers  Previous  Seller  Buyer 

									   Session			
 Jet fuel					  June					   

barge +$61 diffs fob FARAG per tonne

JET-BD-ARA Jet fuel June CIF NEW cargo +$61 quotes cif NEW per +$0.25 tonne (1

JET-CD-NWE cargo)

Fuel Oil Trades Bids Offers Previous Seller Buyer

									  Session			
 0.5% barge   $530-$5				 $534-$53  Total,  BP 

 fob ARA per  32					  5 (2	  Mercur   
 tonne								barges)   ia	   

3.5% barge $452-$4 $455-$45 Total, United,

 fob ARA per  53.25				   6 (5	  BP	  OEI 
 tonne								barges)			

HFO-ARA ICE Low Sulphur Gasoil LGOc1 Previous

 Diesel ARA Barge		$17.8			$18 
 Cracks vs Brent						   

futures (per barrel) Diesel spread LGOc1-LGOc2