US crude stocks fall for first time in six weeks: EIA

[NEW YORK] US crude stocks fell unexpectedly last week for the first time since March, as gasoline and distillate inventories dropped more than expected, and imports declined, data from the Energy Information Administration showed on Wednesday.

Crude inventories fell by 3.4 million barrels in the last week, compared with analysts' expectations for an increase of 714,000 barrels.

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 1.52 million barrels to a new record, EIA said.

Refinery crude runs rose by 193,000 barrels per day, EIA data showed. Refinery utilization rates fell by 0.6 percentage points.

Gasoline stocks fell by 1.2 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 710,000-barrel drop.

Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, fell by 1.6 million barrels, versus expectations for a 1 million-barrel drop, the EIA data showed.

US crude imports fell last week by 5,000 barrels per day.

REUTERS