U.S. petroleum data mixed last week

HOUSTON, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. crude oil refinery inputs averaged 15 million barrels per day during the week ending Oct. 29, 25,000 barrels less than the previous week's average, according to a weekly report issued by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday.

Refineries operated at 86.3 percent of their operable capacity last week, said the report.

During last week, both gasoline and distillate fuel production went up. Gasoline production averaged 10.2 million barrels per day last week while distillate fuel production averaged 4.8 million barrels per day.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged 6.2 million barrels per day last week, down by 83,000 barrels per day from the previous week. Over the past four weeks, crude oil imports averaged about 6.1 million barrels per day, 14.9 percent more than the same four-week period last year.

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories, excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, rose by 3.3 million barrels from the previous week.

However, at 434.1 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are about 6 percent below the five-year average for this time of year.

Data from the report also showed that total products supplied over the last four-week period averaged 20.4 million barrels a day, up by 7.9 percent from the same period last year. Over the past four weeks, motor gasoline product supplied averaged 9.4 million barrels a day, up by 11.6 percent from the same period last year.

The United States has been a major global oil producer over the past few years, thanks to surging growth in its shale oil production.