US oil inventories rise by 2 million barrels

Oil tanks

Data released Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed a rise in U.S. crude oil inventories by 2 million barrels during the week ended July 17, exceeding expectations that had predicted a decline.

This increase comes at a time when global oil markets are experiencing volatility due to supply and demand factors.

The following table shows the development of crude and petroleum product inventories in the US (million barrels)

Item

Year ago

Week ago

Current

Weekly change

Crude oil

419.0

409.7

411.7

+2.0

Gasoline

231.1

210.5

211.3

+0.8

Distillates

109.9

108.2

109.6

+1.4

US oil inventories

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This increase contradicts analysts' expectations who had predicted a decline in inventories. The unexpected increase may add further pressure on oil prices in global markets. Additionally, the rise in gasoline and distillate inventories indicates a slowdown in fuel demand. Investors are closely monitoring weekly inventory data to assess market trends.