Northwest European gasoline refining margins fell to their lowest since October on Tuesday as slow export activity weighed. While new gasoline cargoes were booked in recent days to leave Europe for North America and West Africa, volumes remain well below average, traders said.

Maintenance at Royal Dutch Shell's 400,000 barrel per day (bpd) Pernis refinery in the Netherlands included a gasoline-producing unit and is expected to tighten supplies in the region in the coming weeks, traders said.

European refinery output rose 1 percent in December on a monthly basis but was down 3 percent year on year, data from Euroilstock showed on Tuesday.

Output of all products fell year on year, with gasoline down nearly 5 percent and middle distillates nearly 3 percent.

Copyright Reuters, 2019