U.S. crude and gasoline inventories likely increased last week, while distillate stockpiles were expected to have fallen, a preliminary Reuters poll showed on Monday.

Seven analysts polled by Reuters estimated on average that crude inventories rose by about 400,000 barrels in the week to Feb. 24.

The poll was conducted ahead of reports from the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, due at 4:30 p.m. ET (2130 GMT) on Tuesday, and the Energy Information Administration, the statistical arm of the U.S. Department of Energy, due at 10:30 a.m. (1530 GMT) on Wednesday.

Crude inventories rose by 7.6 million barrels to about 479 million barrels in the week to Feb. 17, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 2.1 million-barrel rise.

Distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, were expected to have decreased by about 500,000 barrels last week.

Analysts estimated stockpiles of gasoline rose by about 700,000 barrels last week.

The rate of refinery utilization was seen 0.1 percentage point lower from 85.9% of total capacity for the week ended Feb. 17, the poll found.

All figures for stocks are in millions of barrels. Refinery runs change is measured in percentage points.
Source: Reuters