By the OGJ Online Staff
WASHINGTON, DC, Sept. 19 -- Gasoline deliveries, a key measure of US consumer demand, were essentially flat in August, rising only 0.1% to 8.927 million b/d, vs. the same month in 2000.
The American Petroleum Institute blamed the sluggish economy, a 25% jump in Midwest retail prices, overall tight gasoline markets, limited spare refining capacity, and the continued complexities of making different types of gasoline for 15 markets to meet Clean Air Act rules.
API said US Energy Information Administration data show that after retail gasoline prices jumped 7.5%, following a plunge in July that was the largest 1-month drop in 15 years.
The association said distillate fuel oil deliveries grew 2.1% to 3.804 million b/d, vs. August 2000. A 9% drop in kerosine jet fuel deliveries to 1.679 million b/d was consistent with a report by the Air Transport Association that air travel was down in July for the sixth consecutive month.
US product deliveries of 20.1 million b/d were 2% lower than a year ago, but so far this year, they have averaged 19.8 million b/d, up 1% from the same 8-month period last year.
Oil production averaged 5.787 million b/d, the same as in August 2000. After posting a slight gain in July, Lower 48 output was 4.824 million b/d, down 1% from last year. Alaska production was up 5.4% over year ago levels, largely due to output from Alpine field on the North Slope.
Alpine operations started late last year. August marked the fourth straight month of production increases.
Crude imports were 8.913 million b/d, off 10.3% from a year ago and down for the third month in a row. API report noted this was the lowest amount imported at this time of year since 1997.
Gasoline imports were up 14.7% at 702,000 b/d, but distillate, kerosine jet fuel, and residual fuel were all down, so total crude and product imports of 11.033 million b/d were down 9.4% compared to August 2000.
API said oil inputs to refineries were off 1.9% at 15.561 million b/d. The refinery utilization rate was 93.6%.
Crude stocks were up 6.1% at 304.9 million bbl, gasoline stocks were unchanged from a year ago at 194.4 million bbl, and stocks of home heating oil and diesel were up 8.2% at 119.7 million bbl.
