By Oil & Gas Journal
Weekly data from the EIA shows a rise in crude inventories and imports, with refinery operations at 89.1% capacity, and mixed changes in gasoline and distillate fuel stocks.
US crude oil inventories for the week ended Apr. 17, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, increased by 1.9 million bbl from the previous week, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).
At 465.7 million bbl, US crude oil inventories are about 3% above the 5-year average for this time of year, the EIA report indicated.
EIA said total motor gasoline inventories decreased by 4.6 million bbl from last week and are about 0.5% below the 5-year average for this time of year. Finished gasoline inventories increased while blending components inventories decreased last week. Distillate fuel inventories decreased by 3.4 million bbl last week and are about 8% below the 5-year average for this time of year.
Propane-propylene inventories increased by 2.1 million bbl from last week and are 69% above the 5-year average for this time of year, EIA said.
US crude oil refinery inputs averaged 16.0 million b/d for the week, which was 55,000 b/d less than the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 89.1% of capacity.
Gasoline production increased, averaging 10.1 million b/d. Distillate fuel production increased, averaging 5.0 million b/d.
US crude oil imports averaged 6.1 million b/d, up 787,000 b/d from the previous week. Over the last 4 weeks, crude oil imports averaged about 6.0 million b/d, 0.4% less than the same 4-week period last year. Total motor gasoline imports averaged 587,000 b/d. Distillate fuel imports averaged 190,000 b/d