U.S. crude stocks and distillate inventories rose while gasoline inventories fell, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.

Crude inventories rose by 5.5 million barrels in the week to August 5 to 432 million barrels, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 73,000-barrel rise.

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 723,000 barrels in the last week, EIA said.

Refinery crude runs rose by 728,000 barrels per day in the last week, EIA said.

Refinery utilization rates rose by 3.3 percentage points in the week.

U.S. gasoline stocks fell by 5 million barrels in the week to 220.3 million barrels, the EIA said, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 633,000-barrel drop.

Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 2.2 million barrels in the week to 111.5 million barrels, versus expectations for a 667,000-barrel drop, the EIA data showed.

Net U.S. crude imports rose last week by 231,000 barrels per day, EIA said.
Source: Reuters (Reporting By David Gaffen)