1.   Instead, prices came under pressure with an announcement that the country had sharply increased petrol stocks.

2.   A fall in US petrol stocks also boosted prices.

3.   Dealers believe that US petrol stocks for the summer will be larger than expected.

4.   Several large-scale investors withdrew from the US market, believing that petrol stocks were too high compared to consumption, said Brendam Wilders, an analyst with Hoare Govett.

5.   The market was boosted by the rally in petrol prices on the New York futures market, after the announcement Tuesday night of a crash in US petrol stocks.