The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its weekly petroleum status report Wednesday morning. U.S. commercial crude inventories decreased by 1.4 million barrels last week, maintaining a total U.S. commercial crude inventory to 356.6 million barrels. Crude inventory remains in the upper half of the five-year range for this time of the year.

Total gasoline inventories decreased by 1.8 million barrels last week and remain in the middle of the five-year average range. Total motor gasoline supplied (the EIA’s measure of consumption) averaged 8.7 million barrels a day for the past four weeks, down by 0.7% compared with the same period a year ago.

Distillate inventories decreased by 2.9 million barrels last week and moved near the lower limit of the average range. Distillate product supplied averaged about 3.8 million barrels a day over the past four weeks, up by 0.8% when compared with the same period last year. Distillate production averaged 4.9 million barrels a day last week, unchanged from the prior week’s production.

Tuesday evening, the American Petroleum Institute (API) reported that crude inventories dropped by 463,000 barrels in the week ending September 26, together with a drop of 2.5 million barrels in gasoline supplies and a decline of 1.8 million barrels in distillate supplies. For the same period, analysts had estimated an increase of 700,000 barrels in crude inventories.

Before the EIA report, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was trading up about 1.2% at around $92.35 a barrel, more than a dollar more than Tuesday’s closing price of $91.16. The WTI price rose further to around $92.40 shortly after the report was released.

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For the past week, crude imports averaged over 7.3 million barrels a day, up about 414,000 barrels a day compared with the previous week. Refineries were running at 89.8% of capacity, with daily input of more than 15.7 million barrels a day, about 525,000 barrels a day below the previous week’s average.

WTI crude prices are roughly flat with last week’s price, thanks mostly to Wednesday’s upturn. Refinery throughput has dropped to accommodate maintenance and because demand remains low. Pump prices for consumers continue to slide as demand falters.

According to AAA, the current national average pump price per gallon of regular gasoline is $3.333, down from $3.344 a week ago and from $3.437 a month ago. Last year a gallon of regular cost $3.393 on average in the United States.

Here is a look at how share prices at three U.S. producers reacted to Wednesday’s report.

Exxon Mobil Corp. (NYSE: XOM) traded down about 0.1%, at $93.93 in a 52-week range of $84.79 to $104.76.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) traded down about 0.3%, at $119.00 in a 52-week range of $109.27 to $135.10.

Continental Resources Inc. (NYSE: CLR) traded up fractionally at $66.46. The stock’s 52-week range is $50.13 to $80.91. Continental is the largest producer in the Bakken shale play.

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