US Crude Stocks Rise on Heavier Imports - EIA
U.S. crude stocks rose last week as refineries hiked output, while gasoline stocks increased and distillate inventories rose, data from the Energy Information Administration showed on Wednesday.
Crude inventories rose by 5.3 million barrels in the last week, compared with expectations for an increase of 1.5 million barrels.
Stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 691,000 barrels, EIA said.
Refinery crude runs rose by 309,000 barrels per day, EIA data showed. Refinery utilization rates rose by 2.1 percentage points.
Gasoline stocks rose by 746,000 barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 416,000-barrel drop.
Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 310,000 barrels, versus expectations for a 1.7 million-barrel drop, the EIA data showed.
U.S. crude imports rose last week by 910,000 barrels per day.
(Reporting By David Gaffen)
