Energy

Crude Oil Inventory Jumps, Prices Fall Below $90 a Barrel

153715598
Thinkstock
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its weekly petroleum status report this morning. U.S. commercial crude inventories increased by 3.8 million barrels last week, bringing the total U.S. commercial crude inventory to 381.4 million barrels, still well above the upper limit of the five-year range for this time of the year.

Total gasoline inventories decreased by 600,000 barrels last week but remain in the upper limit of the five-year average range. Total motor gasoline supplied averaged about 8.5 million barrels a day over the past four weeks — a rise of about 1.1% compared with the same period a year ago.

Distillate inventories increased by about 600,000 barrels last week and remain in the lower half of the average range. Distillate product supplied averaged more than 3.7 million barrels a day over the past four weeks, up about 5.3% when compared with the same period last year. Distillate production totaled 4.3 million barrels a day last week, down by about 200,000 barrels a day when compared with the prior week.

The American Petroleum Institute reported an inventory increase of 5.6 million barrels in crude supplies last week and a decrease of 900,000 barrels in gasoline supplies. Platts estimated a build of 1.1 million barrels in crude inventories and decreases of 1.6 million barrels for gasoline stocks and 1.3 million barrels for distillate stocks. Dow Jones had projected a rise in crude inventories of 500,000 barrels.

Crude prices were about down about 0.7% before the EIA report at $90.18 a barrel and quickly dipped below $90 a barrel following the report. Crude prices are down sharply over the past several days, and gasoline prices have also fallen for the past week or so.

For the past week, crude imports averaged more than 7.3 million barrels a day, a decrease of about 480,000 barrels a day from the previous week. Refineries were running at 82.2% of capacity, with daily input of 14 million barrels a day, about 500,000 barrels a day more than the previous week. The spring turnaround to summer fuel and routine refinery maintenance are proceeding a little earlier than normal this year, likely because demand for gasoline has moderated.

The United States Oil ETF (NYSEMKT: USO) is down about 1.3% at $32.28, in a 52-week range of $29.02 to $42.30.

The United States Gasoline ETF (NYSEMKT: UGA) is down 0.4% at $61.93,in a 52-week range of $45.13 to $65.86.

The #1 Thing to Do Before You Claim Social Security (Sponsor)

Choosing the right (or wrong) time to claim Social Security can dramatically change your retirement. So, before making one of the biggest decisions of your financial life, it’s a smart idea to get an extra set of eyes on your complete financial situation.

A financial advisor can help you decide the right Social Security option for you and your family. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you optimize your Social Security outcomes.

 

Have questions about retirement or personal finance? Email us at [email protected]!

By emailing your questions to 24/7 Wall St., you agree to have them published anonymously on a673b.bigscoots-temp.com.

By submitting your story, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.