Oil Storage Report - June 6

[dan_s]

Reminder: EIA's weekly storage reports are even more "iffy" the week before and the week after a major holiday weekend like Memorial Day. Also, keep in mind that U.S. inventories of crude oil, gasoline, diesel and jet fuel are all WAY BELOW 30 days of supply. "Distillates" include heating oil and diesel.

EIA data is for the week ending June 1.

Summary of Weekly Petroleum Data for the Week Ending June 1, 2018
U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged about 17.4 million barrels per day during the week ending June 1, 2018, 214,000 barrels per day more than the previous week’s average. Refineries operated at 95.4% of their operable capacity last week. Gasoline production decreased last week, averaging about 9.7 million barrels per day. Distillate fuel production increased last week, averaging over 5.3 million barrels per day.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged over 8.3 million barrels per day last week, up by 715 thousand barrels per day from the previous week. Over the last four weeks, crude oil imports averaged over 7.9 million barrels per day, 4.4% less than the same four-week period last year. Total motor gasoline imports (including both finished gasoline and gasoline blending components) last week averaged 777,000 barrels per day. Distillate fuel imports averaged 146,000 barrels per day last week.

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories (excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) increased by 2.1 million barrels from the previous week. At 436.6 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are in the lower half of the average range for this time of year. Total motor gasoline inventories increased by 4.6 million barrels last week, and are in the upper half of the average range. Both Finished gasoline and blending components inventories increased last week. Distillate fuel inventories increased by 2.2 million barrels last week and are in the lower half of the average range for this time of year. Propane/propylene inventories increased by 4.0 million barrels last week, and are in the lower half of the average range. Total commercial petroleum inventories increased by 15.8 million barrels last week.

Total products supplied over the last four-week period averaged over 20.1 million barrels per day, up by 0.2% from the same period last year. Over the last four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied averaged about 9.5 million barrels per day, down by 1.1% from the same period last year. Distillate fuel product supplied averaged over 3.9 million barrels per day over the last four weeks, down by 2.6% from the same period last year. Jet fuel product supplied is up 4.2% compared to the same four-week period last year.

[ChuckGeb]

If Trump is putting pressure on Saudis to increase production (or report that they are seriously considering doing so) to keep oil prices low, you can bet that he is also working over the parties in control of EIA to distort their reports to influence prices lower. The swamp has not been drained and the free market is further away than ever. You just have to look at Rick Perry trying to resurrect the coal industry after the biggest buyer, China has wised up and moved towards NG. What a mess.Its too bad the market cannot be allowed to function without manipulation.

[dan_s]

Trump won't keep gasoline prices low much longer with tweets and begging Saudi Arabia to raise production. Demand exceeds supply by a fairly wide margin and the peak demand period is just getting stronger. Saudi Arabia and Russia CANNOT fill the gap between demand and supply.

WTI is under pressure because (a) we have too much ultra-light oil, (b) not enough heavy oil to blend it with, (c) not enough export capacity and (d) this fear that Cushing will fill up. (d) is total baloney, but the Wall Street Gang cannot figure it out.

All we need is one decent size unplanned supply outage and I think Venezuela is working on that now.

EIA and API sure need to work out there differences. These weekly reports where one shows a draw from oil storage and the other one reports and increase are sure getting "weird".

WTI did move back over $65 in after-hours trading.

[Gabriel Oak]

I am looking forward to seeing the "missing barrels" at the end of this year...filed under "miscellaneous to balance"