Europe Gasoline-Up on MidEast demand, naphtha firms

LONDON, Feb 2 (Reuters) - European gasoline and naphtha
prices rose on Tuesday, marginally exceeding gains in crude oil
prices.

Gasoline was continued to support by spot demand from Saudi
Arabia and West Africa.

Saudi Arabia was expected to purchase up to 28,333 barrels
per day (bpd) of gasoline for delivery in February, more than
for January. [ID:nLDE6110DF]
Restart of petrochemical cracks supported naptha prices,
offsetting the limited arbitrage to Asia, traders said.

All three of German chemicals company BASF's BASF.DE
European petrochemical steam crackers are now online following
two restarts in January after fires, a company spokeman told
Reuters on Tuesday. [ID:nLDE61128P]

"Cracks (of naphtha) are positive today. Good news for BASF
with decent margins on the petrochemicals," one trader said.

PRICES

* Barges of Eurobob gasoline traded at $689-$691 a tonne fob
a tonne, up from $668-$673 on Monday.

* Premium's crack to dated Brent crude BFO- firmed by 15
cents to $8.20 a barrel from Monday.

* Gasoline's crack has recovered from about $5 in late
December due to low refinery runs in Europe and the United
States and, more recently, by demand from Nigeria and the Middle
East.

* Last week, the crack touch its highest since August, over
$11 a barrel.

* ICE Brent crude LCOc1 rose $2.41 to $75.52 a barrel by
1811 GMT.

* New York RBOB gasoline RBc1 futures rose 3.77 percent to
$2.0050 a gallon by the same time.

NAPHTHA

* Naphtha was offered at $678 a tonne cif NWE and the offer
was withdrawn later.

* The offer level is higher than a trade at $656 on Monday.

* On a crack basis, the price was steady around 15 cents.

(Reporting by Ikuko Kurahone; Editing by Amanda Cooper)