Recent U.S. oil Demand up 0.6 pct From Year ago

U.S. oil demand as measured by products supplied rose 0.6 pct in the four weeks ended April 17 to 15.91 mln barrels per day (bpd) from 15.82 mln in the same period a year ago, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said.

In its weekly petroleum status report, the Energy Department agency said distillate demand was off 10.2 pct in the period to 2.67 mln bpd from 2.98 mln a year earlier.

Gasoline demand averaged 6.94 mln bpd, off 1.8 pct from 7.06 mln last year, while residual fuel demand was 1.17 mln bpd, off 12.9 pct from 1.34 mln, the EIA said.

Domestic crude oil production was estimated at 8.36 mln bpd, down 5.9 pct from 8.88 mln a year ago, and gross daily crude imports (excluding those for the SPR) averaged 3.70 mln bpd, up 5.2 pct from 3.52 mln, the EIA said.

Refinery crude runs in the four weeks were 12.58 mln bpd, up 2.0 pct from 12.33 mln a year earlier, it said.

In the first 113 days of the year, refinery runs were up 2.3 pct to an average 12.36 mln bpd from 12.09 mln in the year-ago period, the EIA said.

Year-to-date demand for all petroleum products averaged 16.26 mln bpd, up 1.6 pct from 15.99 mln in 1986, it said.

So far this year, distillate demand fell 3.1 pct to 3.11 mln bpd from 3.21 mln in 1986, gasoline demand was 6.71 mln bpd, off 0.3 pct from 6.73 mln, and residual fuel demand fell 6.2 pct to 1.32 mln bpd from 1.40 mln, the EIA said.

Year-to-date domestic crude output was estimated at 8.38 mln bpd, off 7.4 pct from 9.05 mln a year ago, while gross crude imports averaged 3.86 mln bpd, up 21.1 pct from 3.19 mln, it said.