US Cash Products-Chicago gasoline eases, but still strong

NEW YORK, June 4 (Reuters) - Prompt Chicago gasoline steadied, albeit at high premiums on Thursday in quiet trade after a recent run up, dealers said.

Chicago gasoline differentials eased a penny by midday on Thursday, trading at 39 cents over the July RBOB benchmark.

Low stocks in the Explorer and TEPPCO pipelines out of the Gulf Coast coupled with regional refinery work both unplanned and ongoing pushed up differentials to 40 cents over the July RBOB futures screen.

Strong Midwest demand had minimal impact on Gulf Coast differentials, with prompt barrels of conventional gasoline gaining only a quarter point.

In the New York Harbor, gasoline also gained minimally as regional refineries return from both planned and unplanned outages.

Sunoco's Marcus Hook FCCU was back at planned rates after the unit was shut by a May 17 explosion and fire at its 178,000 barrel per day refinery [ID:nN03130410]

Crude oil futures rose with RBOB futures flirting with $2 a gallon for the first time since October as the number of jobless filings declined. [O/N]

For a complete list of refinery outages, click [REF/US]

U.S. GULF COAST <0#P-USG>