EIA - Petroleum Status Report - Sept 18

[dan_s]

Summary of Weekly Petroleum Data for the week ending September 13, 2019 with my comments in blue.

U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 16.7 million barrels per day during the week ending September 13, 2019, which was 788,000 barrels per day less than the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 91.2% of their operable capacity last week.
Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging 9.5 million barrels per day.
Distillate fuel production decreased last week, averaging 5.1 million barrels per day.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged 7.1 million barrels per day last week, up by 326,000 barrels per day from the previous week. Over the past four weeks, crude oil imports averaged about 6.7 million barrels per day, 13.7% less than the same four-week period last year. Total motor gasoline imports (including both finished gasoline and gasoline blending components) last week averaged 501,000 barrels per day, and distillate fuel imports averaged 142,000 barrels per day. < Note that the U.S. still imports about 4 million barrels per day of crude oil more than we export. Comments from Washington claiming that we are "energy independent" aren't exactly right, but they know that most voters don't check out what they say.

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) increased by 1.1 million barrels from the previous week. At 417.1 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 2% below the five year average for this time of year. < On Days of Supply, crude oil inventories are in the below normal. Note that the increase in inventory seems low when you take 7X the the daily increase in crude oil imports and 7X the reduction in refinery inputs above, suggesting that U.S. oil production continues to drift lower.

Total motor gasoline inventories increased by 0.8 million barrels last week and are about 4% above the five year average for this time of year. Finished gasoline inventories decreased while blending components inventories increased last week. < We consume a lot more gasoline than we did five years ago, so on Days of Supply our gasoline inventories are low.

Distillate fuel inventories increased by 0.4 million barrels last week and are about 6% below the five year average for this time of year.

Propane/propylene inventories increased by 2.9 million barrels last week and are about 16% above the five year average for this time of year.

Total commercial petroleum inventories increased last week by 0.9 million barrels last week.

Total products supplied over the last four-week period averaged 21.4 million barrels per day, virtually unchanged from the same period last year. Over the past four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied averaged 9.5 million barrels per day, down by 1.8% from the same period last year. Distillate fuel product supplied averaged 4.0 million barrels per day over the past four weeks, down by 2.0% from the same period last year. Jet fuel product supplied was down 1.4% compared with the same four-week period last year.

[dan_s]

Build-up to the next phase of "The Drone War".

Trump to Send Additional Troops, Equipment to Saudi Arabia After Oil Attack
Read: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/201 ... ttack.html

Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XDcJNSlaGw

Iran’s warning to Saudi Arabia about all-out war is ‘ridiculous,’ Saudi’s Al-Jubeir says
Read: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/21/irans-w ... -says.html

The United States is deploying military forces to the Middle East after Saturday's drone attacks on major oil sites in Saudi Arabia that the administration of President Donald Trump has blamed on Iran. "The president has approved the deployment of U.S. forces which will be defensive in nature and primarily focused on air and missile defense," U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said at a news conference Friday.

The United States will also accelerate shipment of military hardware to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, he said.

Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard responded Saturday, with its chief commander saying it is ready for combat and "any scenario."