Crude oil stockpile rises in week

The energy agency said crude inventories increased from 341.6 million barrels to 343 million barrels during the week and remain above the upper limit of the average range for this time of year.

Gasoline inventories for the week fell by 2.9 million barrels to 228.3 million barrels but remain above the upper limit of the average range.

Supplies of distillate fuels, which include heating oil, were down 2.2 million barrels to 150.5 million barrels.

Finished gasoline and gasoline blending components inventories both fell during the week, the energy agency reported.

Using a four-week rolling average for comparison, demand for motor gasoline is up by 0.5 percent from the same period a year ago, while distillate fuel demand is down 4.1 percent. Jet fuel demand is 6.3 percent lower than the same four-week stretch a year ago.

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