Ethanol’s discount to gasoline narrowed as ice and snow are slow railroad deliveries across North America. The discount to the motor fuel tightened 2.57 cents to 71.76 cents as ethanol deliveries by rail are taking twice as long as normal, according to Chad Conn, a vice president of operations for Franklin, Tennessee-based Eco-Energy Inc. “Logistical issues are playing a role in the surprising firmness of the market,” said Sean Wever, a biofuels broker at Green Key Markets LLC in Chicago . Denatured ethanol for February delivery gained 1.2 cents, or 0.6 percent, to settle at $1.925 a gallon on the Chicago Board of Trade. Prices have dropped 14 percent in the past year. The cold snap pummeled energy infrastructure and prompted railroad companies BNSF Railway Co., Union Pacific Corp. and Norfolk Southern Corp. to warn customers earlier this week to expect delays. About 70 percent of U.S.’s ethanol is […]