US crude oil inventories for the week ended Aug. 7, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, increased by 17.4 million bbl from the previous week, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

At 424.4 million bbl, US crude oil inventories are about 2% below the 5-year average for this time of year, the EIA report indicated.

EIA said total motor gasoline inventories decreased by 1.0 million bbl from last week and are 6% below the 5-year average for this time of year. Finished gasoline inventories and blending components inventories both decreased last week. Distillate fuel inventories decreased by 100,000 bbl last week and are about 12% below the 5-year average for this time of year.

Propane-propylene inventories increased by 1.9 million bbl from last week and are 31% above the 5-year average for this time of year, EIA said.

US crude oil refinery inputs averaged 17.2 million b/d for the week ended Aug. 7, which was 26,000 b/d more than the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 96.2% of capacity.

Gasoline production decreased, averaging 9.6 million b/d. Distillate fuel production increased, averaging 5.3 million b/d.

US crude oil imports averaged 7.3 million b/d, up 1.14 million b/d from the previous week. Over the last 4 weeks, crude oil imports averaged 6.3 million b/d, 0.1% more than the same 4-week period last year. Total motor gasoline imports averaged 583,000 b/d. Distillate fuel imports averaged 111,000 b/d.