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WASHINGTON, October 17, 2007 – Despite a slowdown in September, U.S. fuel production for the year to date continued its record pace while September’s demand for refined products rose, as measured by deliveries from primary storage, API data show.
In its
Monthly Statistical Report covering September 2007, API noted that year-to-date gasoline output was at an all-time high of more than nine million barrels per day though September’s production was down 0.4 percent from September 2006. Distillate production was also at a year-to-date record high at the end of the month though September production was 3.3 percent below last September’s all-time monthly record.
Refinery shutdowns, both scheduled maintenance and unexpected production hitches, pushed overall crude oil inputs in September down more than four percent from a year ago while capacity utilization averaged 88.8 percent, compared to 93 percent in September 2006.
“Even with the letup in refining activity, the industry was able to build inventories of gasoline and other products for future use,” said Ron Planting, API’s manager of statistical information and analysis.
According to API data provided by refiners, blenders, importers, pipelines and terminal operators, total stocks of distillate, including diesel and home heating oil, rose slightly in the month to their highest level since January but stood 11 percent below 2006 end-September levels. Stocks of high-sulfur distillate, more likely to be used for home heating oil, rose by nearly three million barrels in the month.
Overall year-to-date U.S. oil demand, as expressed by total domestic petroleum deliveries, is averaging about 0.2 percent above year-ago levels as a 0.9 percent gain in gasoline demand, a 1.5 percent rise in distillate fuel oil and a six percent jump in residual fuel oil offset a 0.6 percent dip in jet fuel demand.
Total U.S. crude production slipped to its lowest level in nearly a year because of stormy weather in the Gulf of Mexico, though it was 0.7 percent above year-ago levels to average 5.1 million barrels per day.
Total petroleum imports in September averaged 13.7 million barrels per day, down from year-ago levels of 14.5 million barrels per day while September gasoline imports, including blending components, rose nearly 12 percent year-on year.
For more information, see also Petroleum Facts at a Glance 2 October 2007 and Monthly Import Statistics - July 2007 (latest available).
Updated: April 9, 2009