By Dan Molinski

 

U.S. crude-oil stockpiles are expected to decrease slightly from the previous week in data due Wednesday from the Energy Department, according to a survey of analysts and traders by The Wall Street Journal.

Estimates from 11 analysts and traders showed U.S. oil inventories are projected to have fallen by 800,000 barrels for the week ended Jan. 21. Six of the analysts forecast a decline, while five predicted an increase. Forecasts range from a decrease of 5 million barrels to an increase of 2 million barrels.

The closely watched survey from the DOE's Energy Information Administration is scheduled for release at 10:30 a.m. EST Wednesday.

Gasoline stockpiles are expected to rise by 2.3 million barrels from the previous week, according to analysts. Estimates range from increases of 1 million barrels to 4.4 million barrels.

Stocks of distillates, which include heating oil and diesel, are expected to decrease by 1.6 million barrels from the previous week. Forecasts range from decreases of 900,000 barrels to 2.6 million barrels.

Refinery use likely fell by 0.3 percentage point from the previous week, to 87.8% of capacity. Forecasts range from a decrease of 1 percentage point to an increase of 1 percentage point. Two analysts didn't make a forecast.

The American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, said late Tuesday that its own data for the week showed an 872,000-barrel decrease in crude supplies, a 2.4-million-barrel rise in gasoline stocks and a 2.2-million-barrel decline in distillate inventories, according to a source.

 
                                                                    Refinery 
                                    Crude   Gasoline    Distillates   Use 
Again Capital                       -2.9       1.8         -1.1       0.8 
Citi Futures                        -1.5       3.5         -1.5        -1 
Commodity Research Group             1.2       1.9         -0.9      -0.6 
Confluence Investment Management       2       1.5           -1        -1 
DTN                                  1.2       1.8         -1.4      -0.5 
Excel Futures                       -2.5       4.4         -1.2      unch 
Spartan Capital Securities           1.4       1.1         -2.6       n/f 
Mizuho                                 1         2           -2      -0.4 
Price Futures Group                   -3         1           -1         1 
Ritterbusch and Associates          -0.9       3.4         -2.0      -0.8 
Tradition Energy                      -5         3         -2.4       n/f 
 
AVERAGE                             -0.8       2.3         -1.6      -0.3 
 

n/f = no forecast

Note: Numbers in millions of barrels, with the exception of refinery use, which is in percentage points.

 

Write to Dan Molinski at dan.molinski@wsj.com

 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 25, 2022 17:06 ET (22:06 GMT)

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