US crude stocks rose even as imports plunged: EIA

[NEW YORK] US crude stocks rose last week, while gasoline and distillate inventories fell and imports dropped to the lowest in almost a quarter of a century, data from the Energy Information Administration showed on Wednesday.

Crude inventories rose by 2.8 million barrels in the last week, in line with analysts' expectations.

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub fell by 212,000 barrels, EIA said.

Refinery crude runs rose by 21,000 barrels per day, EIA data showed. Refinery utilization rates rose by 1.1 percentage points.

Gasoline stocks fell by 3.3 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1-million-barrel drop.

Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, fell by 1.3 million barrels, versus expectations for a 1.8-million-barrel drop, the EIA data showed.

US crude imports fell last week by 89,000 barrels per day, to the lowest since 1991.

REUTERS