U.S. crude supplies down, other petroleum data mixed

HOUSTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 15.7 million barrels per day (b/d) during the week ending April 22, 33,000 b/d less than the previous week's average, according to a weekly report issued by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Wednesday.

Refineries operated at 90.3 percent of their operable capacity last week, said the Weekly Petroleum Data report.

During the same period, both gasoline and distillate fuel production decreased, averaging 9.5 million b/d and 4.8 million b/d respectively.

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories, excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, went up by 0.7 million barrels from the previous week to 414.4 million barrels, though about 16 percent below the five year average for this time of year.

Total motor gasoline inventories decreased by 1.6 million barrels last week, about 4 percent below the five year average for this time of year. Finished gasoline and blending components inventories both fell.

Distillate fuel inventories decreased by 1.4 million barrels last week, about 21 percent below the five year average for this time of year. Propane/propylene inventories rose by 2.2 million barrels, about 12 percent below the five year average for this time of year.

Also in last week, total commercial petroleum inventories increased by 0.7 million barrels.

Over the last four week period, total products supplied averaged 19.4 million b/d, down by 1.6 percent from the same period last year.

Motor gasoline product supplied averaged 8.7 million b/d over the past four weeks, down by 2.2 percent from the same period last year.

Distillate fuel product supplied averaged 3.7 million b/d over the past four weeks, down by 7.4 percent from the same period last year. Jet fuel product supplied was up 23.9 percent compared with the same four week period last year.