Crude oil supplies rise in week

The energy agency said crude inventories increased from 343 million barrels to 344 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 1.7 million barrels to 227.3 million barrels but remain above the upper limit of the average range.

Supplies of distillate fuels, which include heating oil, were down 1.5 million barrels to 148.1 million barrels.

Finished gasoline inventories rose, while gasoline blending components inventories fell during the week, the energy agency reported.

Using a four-week rolling average for comparison, demand for motor gasoline is up by 1.3 percent from the same period a year ago, while distillate fuel demand is down 3.1 percent. Jet fuel demand is 6.6 percent lower than the same four-week stretch a year ago.

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