Northwest European diesel profit margins rose towards $18 a barrel on Friday following a drop in regional inventories as imports were set to decline.

Scarce supply and improving demand have been offering support to distillates market, according to James Noel-Beswick of Sparta Commodities.

ARA gasoil stocks, including diesel and heating oil, fell by 5% on the week to 2.26 million tons, according to consultancy Insights Global.

Gasoil demand up the river Rhine remained high owing to high water levels that allow buyers to replenish stocks, said Lars van Wageningen of Insights Global.

A single gasoil cargo arrived in ARA in the past week from South Korea, while gasoil cargoes departed for France, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Sweden, U.K. and U.S.

EU and UK diesel and gasoil imports are on track to fall to 1.20 million barrels per day this month, down from 1.28 million bpd in October, Kpler data showed.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Ron Bousso; Editing by Shailesh Kuber)