U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged slightly over 15.0 million barrels per day during the week ending March 29, 2013, 130 thousand barrels per day above the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 86.3 percent of their operable capacity last week. Gasoline production increased last week, averaging over 8.9 million barrels per day. Distillate fuel production increased last week, averaging over 4.3 million barrels per day.
U.S. crude oil imports averaged over 7.9 million barrels per day last week, down by 227 thousand barrels per day from the previous week. Over the last four weeks, crude oil imports have averaged over 7.7 million barrels per day, about 1.3 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 595 thousand barrels per day. Distillate fuel imports averaged 83 thousand barrels per day last week.
U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) increased by 2.7 million barrels from the previous week. At 388.6 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are well above the upper limit of the average range for this time of year. Total
motor gasoline inventories decreased by 0.6 million barrels last week but remained in the middle of the average range. Both finished gasoline inventories decreased and blending components inventories decreased last week. Distillate fuel inventories decreased by 2.3 million barrels last week and are near the lower limit of the average range for this time
of year. Propane/propylene inventories decreased by 1.1 million barrels last week, but remained in the upper half of the average range. Total commercial petroleum inventories decreased by 0.1 million barrels last week.
Total products supplied over the last four-week period have averaged about 18.6 million barrels per day, up by 2.2 percent from the same period last year. Over the last four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied has averaged just under 8.5 million barrels per day, down by 1.2 percent from the same period last year. Distillate fuel product supplied has averaged about 3.8 million barrels per day over the last four weeks, up by 5.5 percent from the same period last year. Jet fuel product supplied is 2.6 percent higher over the last four weeks compared to the same four-week period last year.
The WTI crude oil price and the product spot prices were not available due to the market closure on Friday. The national average retail regular gasoline price decreased for the fifth week in a row to $3.645 per gallon on April 1, 2013, $0.035 per gallon less than last week and $0.296 under a year ago. The national average retail diesel fuel price decreased for the fifth week in a row to $3.993 per gallon, $0.013 per gallon less than last week and $0.149 under a
year ago.
Source: EIA