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　　21:00 23Apr07 RTRS-EUROPE MARCH REFINERY OUTPUT DOWN 435,000 BPD, OR 3.3 PCT, VS FEB AT 12.66 MLN BPD, DOWN 1.4 PCT YR/YR - EUROILSTOCK

　　21:00 23Apr07 RTRS-EUROPE MARCH GASOLINE OUTPUT UP 15,000 BPD, OR 0.5 PCT, VS FEB AT 3.18 MLN BPD, DOWN 0.9 PCT YR/YR - EUROILSTOCK

　　EUROPE MARCH DISTILLATES OUTPUT DOWN 272,000 BPD, OR 4.4 PCT, VS FEB AT 5.91 MLN BPD, DOWN 1.3 PCT YR/YR - EUROILSTOCK

　　EUROPE MARCH REFINERY UTILISATION DOWN TO 88.73 PCT VS 92.66 PCT IN FEB AND 88.74 PCT IN MARCH 06 - EUROILSTOCK

　　Europe March gasoline output rises as margins surge

　　 LONDON, April 23 - Europe's output of gasoline

　　rose in March from the previous month as surging prices of the

　　motor fuel encouraged refiners to maximize output, industry

　　monitors Euroilstock said on Monday.

　　 The rise in output came even as refinery utilisation rates

　　in countries such as France and Germany fell amid a heavy round

　　of plant maintenance work, resulting in a drop in output of

　　middle distillates, fuel oil and naphtha.

　　 The March data showed production of gasoline rose by 15,000

　　barrels per day from the previous month to 3.18 million bpd,

　　industry monitors Euroilstock said in their monthly report

　　covering 16 European countries -- Norway plus the 15 countries

　　that made up the EU until the 2004 enlargement.

　　 Output rose after European gasoline prices surged by 19

　　percent in February, and then another 12 percent in March as

　　U.S. stocks of the key motor fuel slid from the beginning of

　　February. Prices have risen another 21 percent so far in April.

　　 The jump in prices has driven gasoline's premium to Brent

　　crude to more than $20 a barrel on Monday, the highest level

　　since last July.

　　 While refinery maintenance trimmed plant utilisation by 3.93

　　percentage points to 88.73 percent, the surge in the gasoline

　　crack encouraged plants to maximize output of that product.

　　 With diesel and heating oil's premium to Brent crude mostly

　　holding steady since early February, and jet fuel slipping,

　　production of distillates -- diesel, heating oil and jet fuel --

　　slipped by 272,000 bpd, or 4.4 percent, to 5.91 million bpd.

　　 Output was down by 1.3 percent year on year.

　　 Fuel oil output slipped 3.7 percent from February to 1.79

　　million bpd, while naphtha output fell 6.9 percent to 965,000

　　bpd.

　　 Total European refinery production was down by 435,000 bpd,

　　or 3.3 percent, last month versus February, to 12.66 million

　　bpd.

　　 The monitored countries are: Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg,

　　Denmark, Ireland, Finland, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany,

　　Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Britain.

　　 EUROILSTOCK REFINERY TABLE

　　 (in OOO BPD) change from change in pct

　　 Mar 07 Feb 07 Feb 07/ Mar 06 Feb 07/Mar 06

　　TOTAL 12,655 13,090 -435 -185 -3.3 -1.4

　　GASOLINE 3,181 3,166 15 -28 0.5 -0.9

　　MID-DIST 5,913 6,185 -272 -77 -4.4 -1.3

　　FUELS 1,789 1,857 -68 14 -3.7 0.8

　　NAPHTHA 965 1,037 -72 -61 -6.9 -5.9

　　CRUDE INTAKE

　　 11,623 12,139 -516 -2 -4.3

　　 CAPACITY UTILISATION (IN PERCENT)

　　 88.73 92.66