US oil stocks fall as gasoline inventories rise unexpectedly: EIA

[NEW YORK] US crude stocks fell last week, while gasoline stocks and distillate inventories rose, data from the Energy Information Administration showed on Wednesday.

Crude inventories fell by 2.7 million barrels in the last week, compared with analysts' expectations for an decrease of 1.7 million barrels.

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 112,000 barrels, the first increase since mid-April, EIA said.

Refinery crude runs fell by 294,000 barrels per day, EIA data showed. Refinery utilization rates fell by 1.5 percentage points.

Gasoline stocks rose by 460,000 barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 314,000-barrel drop.

Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, rose by 114,000 barrels, versus expectations for a million-barrel increase, the EIA data showed.

US crude imports rose last week by 444,000 barrels per day.

REUTERS