US crude oil inventories for the week ended Feb. 15, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, increased by 3.7 million bbl from the previous week, data from the US Energy Information Administration showed.
At 454.5 million bbl, US crude oil inventories are about 6% above the 5-year average for this time of year, the report indicated.
EIA released the Weekly Petroleum Status Report a day later than normal because of the closure of the federal government on Feb. 18 for Presidents’ Day in the US.
Separately, the American Petroleum Institute said its own estimates showed US crude inventories increased by 1.26 million bbl last week.
EIA said total motor gasoline inventories decreased by 1.5 million bbl and are about 4% above the 5-year range. Finished gasoline inventories and blending components inventories both decreased last week. Distillate fuel inventories decreased by 1.5 million bbl and are about 2% below the 5-year average for this time of year.
Propane-propylene inventories decreased by 3.6 million bbl last week and are about 10% above the 5-year average for this time of year, EIA said.
US refinery inputs averaged 15.7 million b/d for the week ended Feb. 15, about 57,000 b/d less than the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 85.9% of capacity.
Gasoline production decreased, averaging 9.5 million b/d. Distillate fuel production decreased, averaging 4.8 million b/d.
US crude oil imports averaged 7.5 million b/d, up by 1.31 million b/d from the previous week. Over the last 4 weeks, crude oil imports averaged 7 million b/d, 10.5% less than the same period last year. Total motor gasoline imports averaged 420,000 b/d. Distillate fuel imports averaged 431,000 b/d.
