HOUSTON, March 18 (Reuters) - Gasoline rose 2 cents a gallonin the Los Angeles wholesale market on Tuesday as Phillips 66 was performing a planned overhaul at its southernCalifornia refinery, traders said.
March-delivery CARBOB gasoline traded as high as 4.5 cents a gallon under April NYMEX RBOB in L.A.
Phillips is performing a planned overhaul on unidentifiedunits at its 139,000 barrel per day (bpd) Los Angeles refinery,which has plants in Wilmington and Carson, California.
When asked why gasoline rose in the L.A. market on Tuesday,a trader said, "Major Flaring at P66 Carson."
A refinery uses its safety flare to burn off hydrocarbons itcannot process normally like during an overhaul.
March CARBOB was 1.5 cents a gallon stronger at 2.5 cents agallon under April NYMEX RBOB in the San Francisco Bay market onthe Phillips overhaul.
CARBOB gasoline is mandated by the California Air ResourcesBoard (CARB) for use in the state and meets more stringentanti-pollution standards than the gasoline required by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency in most of the country. CARBOBis made to blend with ethanol.
EPA gasoline in the Portland, Oregon market was up 1 cent agallon at 8 cents a gallon under April NYMEX RBOB due to theplanned overhaul underway at Royal Dutch Shell Plc.'s 145,000 bpd Anacortes, Washington refinery.
As with gasoline, CARB also requires a state-specific,ultra-low-sulfur diesel with a more stringent formula than EPAdiesel.
March CARB diesel climbed 1.5 cents a gallon in L.A. to 5cents a gallon under April NYMEX heating oil.
Bay market March CARB diesel rose 0.5 cent a gallon at 4cents a gallon under April NYMEX heating oil.
Portland EPA diesel gained 1 cent a gallon at 2 cents agallon over April NYMEX heating oil.
March jet fuel in L.A. gained 0.75 cent at 13.25 cents agallon under April NYMEX heating oil. (Reporting by Erwin Seba)