US commercial crude oil inventories, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, decreased by 5.6 million bbl for the week ended Dec. 1 compared with the previous week. The latest estimate is 448.1 million bbl, which puts oil supplies in the upper range for this time of year, the US Energy Information Administration said.
The Petroleum Status Report also said total motor gasoline inventories increased by 6.8 million bbl. Finished gasoline inventories decreased while blending components inventories increased last week. Distillate fuel inventories increased by 1.7 million bbl.
Propane-propylene inventories increased by 1.3 million bbl, and that level is in the middle of the average range, EIA said.
US refinery inputs averaged 17.2 million b/d for the week ended Dec. 1, which was 192,000 b/d more than the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 93.8% of capacity.
Gasoline production decreased, averaging about 9.8 million b/d. Distillate fuel production increased, averaging 5.4 million b/d.
US crude oil imports averaged 7.2 million b/d, down by 127,000 b/d from the previous week. Over the last 4 weeks, crude oil imports averaged 7.6 million b/d, nearly 5% less than the same period last year. Total motor gasoline imports averaged 488,000 b/d. Distillate fuel imports averaged 145,000 b/d.