U.S. crude supplies decline amid mixed petroleum data

HOUSTON, July 30 (Xinhua) -- U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 16.9 million barrels per day (b/d) during the week ending July 25, an increase of 25,000 b/d from the previous week, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's (EIA) weekly petroleum report released Wednesday.

Refineries operated at 95.4 percent of their operable capacity last week, the report said.

Both gasoline and distillate fuel production rose, averaging 10.0 million b/d and 5.2 million b/d respectively.

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories, excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, surged by 7.7 million barrels from the previous week to 426.7 million barrels, about 6 percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

Total motor gasoline inventories fell by 2.7 million barrels from the previous week, roughly 1 percent below the five-year seasonal average.

While finished gasoline inventories increased, inventories of blending components declined last week.

Distillate fuel inventories rose by 3.6 million barrels, remaining approximately 16 percent below the five-year average for this period.

Propane and propylene inventories increased by 1.1 million barrels, standing 9 percent above the five-year average.

Total commercial petroleum inventories climbed by 7.1 million barrels last week.

Over the past four weeks, total products supplied averaged 20.8 million b/d, marking a 1.5 percent rise compared to the same period last year.

Motor gasoline product supplied averaged 8.9 million b/d over the same period, down 3.0 percent year-on-year.

Distillate fuel product supplied averaged 3.6 million b/d over the past four weeks, down by 1 percent from the same period last year.

Jet fuel product supplied showed a notable increase of 8.8 percent compared with the corresponding period last year. ■