Crude oil inventories at the end of last week decreased 3.7 million barrels to 332.4 million barrels. Motor Gasoline inventories increased 0.9 million barrels and inventories of finished gasoline increased and distillate inventories decreased by 2.9 million barrels.
The following is the un-edited press release from the Energy Information Administration.
Summary of Weekly Petroleum Data for the Week Ending December 11, 2009
U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 13.8 million barrels per day during the week ending December 11, 117 thousand barrels per day below the previous week''s average. Refineries operated at 80.0 percent of their operable capacity last week. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.1 million barrels per day. Distillate fuel production decreased last week, averaging 3.7 million barrels per day.
U.S. crude oil imports averaged 7.8 million barrels per day last week, down 365 thousand barrels per day from the previous week. Over the last four weeks, crude oil imports have averaged 8.3 million barrels per day, 1.4 million barrels per day below the same four-week period last year. Total motor gasoline imports (including both finished gasoline and gasoline blending components) last week averaged 967 thousand barrels per day. Distillate fuel imports averaged 229 thousand barrels per day last week.
U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) decreased by 3.7 million barrels from the previous week. At 332.4 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are above the upper limit of the average range for this time of year. Total motor gasoline inventories increased by 0.9 million barrels last week, and are above the upper limit of the average range. Finished gasoline inventories increased while blending components decreased last week. Distillate fuel inventories decreased by 2.9 million barrels, and are above the upper boundary of the average range for this time of year. Propane/propylene inventories decreased by 4.0 million barrels last week and are below the lower limit of the average range. Total commercial petroleum inventories decreased by 12.7 million barrels last week, and are above the upper limit of the average range for this time of year.
Total products supplied over the last four-week period has averaged 18.8 million barrels per day, down by 1.7 percent compared to the similar period last year. Over the last four weeks, motor gasoline demand has averaged 9.0 million barrels per day, up by 1.0 percent from the same period last year. Distillate fuel demand has averaged 3.6 million barrels per day over the last four weeks, down by 6.6 percent from the same period last year. Jet fuel demand is 4.6 percent higher over the last four weeks compared to the same four-week period last year.
The tables that follow display the latest U.S. Petroleum Balance Sheet and the most recent 4 weeks of Weekly Petroleum Status Report data.
