US Cash Products-USG, Midwest diffs ease as NYMEX soars

NEW YORK, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. cash oil products differentials slipped in the Gulf Coast and Midwest Wednesday as dealers countered a steep climb on the New York Mercantile Exchange following bullish inventory data from the Energy Information Administration.

Crude, gasoline and heating oil struck record highs on the NYMEX Wednesday. For NYMEX reports click [O/N]. For the EIA report click [EIA/S] or EIAA.

In the New York Harbor, however, problems at Sunoco refineries spurred continued small increases in differentials across the board, despite the big NYMEX futures market gains, dealers said.

Sunoco's Eagle Point refinery in New Jersey released catalyst dust due to an equipment malfunction, according to state regulators. [ID:nN09478887] Meanwhile, the company began restarting its Marcus Hook refinery in Pennsylvania after it was shut by a power outage Monday. [ID:nN09200462]

In other refinery news, ConocoPhillips said it had returned operations at its Bayway, New Jersey, refinery to near normal after completing a spring turnaround. The company also said it restarted an FCC unit at its Wood River plant in Illinois.[ID:nN09197662]

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

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

Cycle 22 M2 gasoline, which schedules on Wednesday on the Colonial pipeline, traded at 10.25 and 10 cents under the May RBOB board, down about a penny as the benchmark futures climbed.

Cycle 22 ultra-low sulfur diesel traded at 17, 17.25, and 17.50 cents over the May heating oil board, dipping 1 to 0.50 cent from Tuesday's levels.