U.S. petroleum data mixed last week: EIA

HOUSTON — U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 15.8 million barrels per day during the week ending Dec. 17, 148,000 barrels per day more than the previous week’s average, according to a weekly report issued by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday.

Refineries operated at 89.6 percent of their operable capacity last week. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.9 million barrels per day. Distillate fuel production increased last week, averaging 4.9 million barrels per day.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged 6.2 million barrels per day last week, down by 277,000 barrels per day from the previous week. Over the past four weeks, crude oil imports averaged about 6.4 million barrels per day, 12.7 percent more than the same four-week period last year.

Excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories went down by 4.7 million barrels from the previous week. At 423.6 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 8 percent below the five year average for this time of year.

Total commercial petroleum inventories decreased by 7.0 million barrels last week.

Total products supplied over the last four-week period averaged 20.9 million barrels a day, up by 11 percent from the same period last year. Over the past four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied averaged 9.1 million barrels a day, up by 14.7 percent from the same period last year.

The United States has been a major global oil producer over the past few years, thanks to surging growth in its shale oil production.