By Anthony Harrup

U.S. crude oil inventories rose unexpectedly last week as imports increased, while product stocks were mixed, according to data released Thursday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Commercial crude oil stocks excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve rose by 2.4 million barrels, to 420.7 million barrels, in the week ended Aug. 29, and were about 4% below the five-year average for the time of year, the EIA said. Analysts surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had predicted crude stockpiles would fall by 2 million barrels.

Oil stored in the SPR increased by 509,000, to 404.7 million barrels. Oil stocks at Cushing, Okla., the Nymex delivery hub, were up by 1.6 million barrels, at 24.2 million barrels.

The EIA estimated U.S. crude oil production at 13.4 million barrels a day, little changed from the previous week, while imports rose by 508,000 barrels a day, to 6.7 million barrels a day. Crude exports rose by 74,000 barrels a day, to 3.9 million barrels a day.

Refinery capacity use was down by 0.3 of a percentage point, at 94.3%, while crude input to refineries was virtually unchanged, at 16.9 million barrels a day. Refinery capacity use was forecast to have fallen by 0.6 of a percentage point in the Journal survey.

Gasoline inventories dropped by 3.8 million barrels, to 218.5 million barrels, and were about 2% below the five-year average, the EIA said. Gasoline demand was 9.1 million barrels a day, down by 123,000 barrels a day from the week before. Gasoline stocks were forecast to have fallen by 1.3 million barrels.

Distillate fuel stocks rose by 1.7 million barrels, to 115.9 million barrels, against expectations of a 1.1 million barrel decline, and were 13% below the five-year average.

 
Change in U.S. oil inventories for the week ended Aug. 29: 
 
                   Crude       Gasoline      Distillates         Refinery Use 
EIA data:           2.4          -3.8            1.7                 -0.3 
Forecast:          -2.0          -1.3           -1.1                 -0.6 
 

Note: Numbers in millions of barrels, with the exception of refinery use, which is in percentage points.

Write to Anthony Harrup at anthony.harrup@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 04, 2025 12:20 ET (16:20 GMT)

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