U.S. crude oil and gasoline stockpiles likely fell last week, while distillate inventories were unchanged, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday.

Five analysts polled by Reuters estimated on average that crude inventories decreased by around 400,000 barrels in the week to Aug 5.

The poll was conducted ahead of reports from the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, due at 4:30 p.m. EDT (2030 GMT) on Tuesday, and the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy, due at 10:30 a.m. (1430 GMT) on Wednesday.

Crude inventories rose by 4.5 million barrels in the week to July 29 to 426.6 million barrels, the EIA said, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 600,000-barrel drop.

Analysts estimated stockpiles of gasoline by about 400,000 barrels last week.

Distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, were expected to hold steady last week.

The rate of refinery utilization was seen up 0.7 percentage point from 91% of total capacity for the week ended July 29, the poll found.

All figures for fuel stocks are in millions of barrels. Refinery runs change is measured in percentage points.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Seher Dareen in Bengaluru Editing by Marguerita Choy)