More Stories

Informist, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026

MUMBAI – US crude oil inventories, excluding those in strategic petroleum reserves, fell by 2.3 million barrels to 423.8 million barrels in the week ended Friday, the US Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report. This fall is against the 1-million-barrel rise expected by analysts polled by Dow Jones. US crude oil inventories were about 3% below the five-year average for this time of the year, according to the report. 

Petrol inventories rose by 200,000 barrels from the previous week to 257.2 million barrels in the week ended Friday. Analysts polled by Dow Jones had expected a rise of 1 million barrels in petrol inventories. Distillate fuel stocks rose by 300,000 barrels to 132.9 million barrels during the week. Analysts polled by Dow Jones expected a fall of 1.4 million barrels in distillate stocks. Distillate fuel stocks were around 1% above the five-year average for this time of the year.

Refinery utilisation stood at 90.9%, according to the report. Crude oil production in the US, the largest producer of the commodity, fell by 36,000 barrels per day to 13.70 million barrels per day in the week ended Friday.

US crude oil exports rose by 901,000 barrels per day to 4.59 million barrels per day, according to the report. Strategic petroleum reserves rose by 500,000 barrels to 415 million barrels during the week.

US crude oil imports averaged 5.6 million barrels per day in the week, down 804,000 barrels per day from the previous week. Over the past four weeks, US crude oil imports averaged around 6.4 million barrels per day, 0.9% lower than the corresponding period last year.

Of the top 10 countries that export crude oil to the US, imports from six countries fell in the week ended Friday. Imports from Canada fell the most, by 295,000 barrels per day to 3.81 million barrels per day. On other hand, imports from Saudi Arabia rose the most, by 74,000 barrels to 370,000 barrels per day, according to the report.

Inventories of crude oil at Cushing, Oklahoma, a key delivery point for West Texas Intermediate crude, fell by 300,000 barrels to 24.8 million barrels in the week ended Friday. Cushing is the designated delivery point for NYMEX crude oil futures. Market participants closely monitor stockpiles in Cushing, which has a storage capacity of about 90 million barrels.

At 1111 IST, the most-active March contract of crude oil on the NYMEX was up 1% at $64.08 per barrel.

End

US$1 = INR 91.97

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

Reported by Udita S. Jaiswal 

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.

Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd. by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt. Ltd.

Informist Media Tel +91 (22) 6985-4000

Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com

© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved.