Subscriber Note: Platts to end US Midwest finished gasoline assessments

Platts plans to discontinue its assessment for conventional 87 octane finished gasoline (N grade) in the Midwest/Group 3 market on January 1, 2014, meaning December 31 will be the last day of the N-grade assessment. This suspension reflects changing supply and trading patterns in the region and follows the launch of new assessments for the market. Gasoline supply in the US Midwest has shifted away from finished gasoline toward sub-octane grades. Local pipeline operator Magellan Pipeline announced plans to phase out finished gasoline shipments from its system and begin shipping only sub-octane shipments from September. Magellan has already begun to ship sub-octane on its system. Platts first proposed discontinuing finished gasoline assessments for Group 3 in a subscriber note published on June 5. Separately, Platts started to publish Group 3 suboctane assessments on September 3. Please send questions or comments by November 29 to americas_products@platts.com and pricegroup@platts.com. For written comments, please provide a clear indication if comments are not intended for publication by Platts for public viewing. Platts will consider all comments received and will make comments not marked as confidential available to the public upon request.