US crude stocks fall, fuel inventories rise, EIA says

HOUSTON, Dec 10 - U.S. crude inventories fell, while gasoline and distillates stockpiles rose last week, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.

Crude inventories fell by 1.8 million barrels to 425.7 million barrels in the week ended December 5, the EIA said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 2.3 million-barrel draw.

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub USOICC=ECI rose by 308,000 barrels in the week, the EIA said.

Refinery crude runs USOICR=ECI fell by 16,000 barrels per day in the week, the EIA said, while utilization rates USOIRU=ECI rose by 0.4% to 94.5%.

U.S. gasoline stocks USOILG=ECI rose by 6.4 million barrels in the week to 220.8 million barrels, the EIA said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 2.8 million-barrel rise. ​

Distillate stockpiles USOILD=ECI, which include diesel and heating oil, climbed by 2.5 million barrels in the week to 116.8 million barrels, versus expectations for a 1.9 million-barrel rise, the EIA data showed.

Net U.S. crude imports USOICI=ECI rose by 212,000 barrels per day 2.6 million bpd.