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US crude stockpiles increase, products draw on low refining rates - EIA

U.S. petroleum stockpiles rose last week, while gasoline and extract stocks fell as refinery upkeep and failures kept activity low, the Energy Information Administration stated on Thursday.

Unrefined inventories increased by 3.5 million barrels to 442.9 million barrels in the week ending Feb. 16, the EIA stated, compared to analysts' expectations in a survey for a 3.9 million-barrel increase.

Unrefined stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery center increased by 741,000 barrels last week to 29.5 million, the EIA stated.

On the other hand, refinery crude runs inched up by 31,000 barrels daily, and refinery usage rates were unchanged at 80.6% of overall capacity in the week.

Crude and distillate costs edged up in reaction to the EIA information, while gasoline futures were flat.

As we continue to work our method through refinery maintenance here, you're most likely to continue seeing unrefined builds and product draws, stated Matt Smith, lead oil expert at Kpler.

Unexpected refinery blackouts following a winter storm in January, together with prepared plant turnarounds, has actually kept refining near its lowest levels considering that late 2022.

A failure beginning at the start of February at the 435,000-bpd

Whiting facility

in Indiana, the Midwest's biggest refinery, has actually contributed to the item draws and crude builds.

With the Whiting refinery still down, we saw another week with big item draws, said Giovanni Staunovo, expert at UBS.

Fuel stocks fell by 294,000 barrels in the week to 247 million barrels, the EIA stated, compared with experts' projections for a 2.1 million-barrel draw.?

While the EIA reported fuel drawdowns in the Gulf Coast, Midwest and West Coast, stocks along the East Coast increased by 1.4 million barrels to 64.37 million barrels, their greatest considering that January 2022, information revealed.

Extract stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, were down by 4 million barrels in the week to 121.7 million barrels, versus expectations for a 1.7 million-barrel drop, the EIA data revealed.