NEW YORK -- U.S. crude-oil inventories in the week ended April 10 rose by far more than analysts expected, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Crude stockpiles shot up 5.6 million barrels to 366.7 million barrels, the department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report. That compared with an average forecast of a 2.1 million-barrel build in a Dow Jones Newswires survey of analysts.
Gasoline stockpiles fell 900,000 barrels to 216.5 million barrels, compared with an average survey estimate of a 500,000-barrel drawdown.
Distillate stockpiles fell 1.2 million barrels to 139.6 million barrels, more than analysts' forecasts of a 700,000-barrel draw.
Refinery use fell by 1.4 percentage points to 80.4% of capacity, defying expectations of a 0.3 percentage point increase.
U.S. Oil Inventories For week ended April 10 :
Crude Gasoline Distillates Refinery Use
EIA data: +5.6 -0.9 -1.2 -1.4
Forecast: +2.1 -0.5 -0.7 +0.3
Figures in millions of barrels, except for refining capacity, which is reported in percentage points. Forecasts are the average of expectations in a Dow Jones Newswires survey of analysts earlier in the week.