Crude oil and gasoline inventories rise in the United States

US Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday that crude oil and gasoline inventories rose in the United States while distillate inventories fell last week.

According to Reuters, the administration said that crude inventories rose by 7.3 million barrels to 460.9 million barrels in the week ending April 26, compared to the expectations of analysts polled by Reuters that they would decline by 1.1 million barrels.

The administration added that crude oil inventories at the delivery center in Cushing, Oklahoma, rose by 1.1 million barrels during the week.

She added that crude consumption in refineries decreased by about 230,000 barrels per day in the week ending April 26.

The refinery operating rate decreased by a percentage point during the week.

The administration reported that gasoline stocks rose by 300,000 barrels during the week to 227.1 million barrels, compared to analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll that they would decrease by about 1.1 barrels.

Administration data showed that distillate stocks, which include diesel and heating oil, fell by 700,000 barrels during the week to 115.9 million barrels, compared to expectations for a decline of 200,000 barrels.

The administration said that net US imports of crude oil rose by 1.54 million barrels per day.