<article><p>US crude stocks hit another all-time record last week, despite a rise in refinery utilization and lower imports. Stocks at the key US storage hub in Cushing, Oklahoma, also rose to their highest level since January 2014.</p><p>US crude inventories rose 6.3mn bl to 413.1mn bl, the highest on record since the Energy Information Administration (EIA) began tracking them in 1982 and the fourth consecutive weekly increase. </p><p>Imports fell while refinery throughput increased for the week ended 30 January. Imports fell by 35,000 b/d to 7.4mn b/d. Over the last four weeks, crude imports averaged 7.4mn b/d, 0.50pc above the same four-week period last year.</p><p>Throughput averaged 15.5mn b/d, 288,000 b/d higher than a week ago, while refinery run rates rose to 89.9pc from 88pc last week. </p><p>Inventories in the pricing and storage hub of Cushing, Oklahoma, rose by 2.5mn bl, the ninth consecutive week of gains, to 41.4mn bl, the highest level seen in a year. Gulf coast stocks rose by 3.6mn bl to 206mn bl, the highest since June 2014. </p><p>Gasoline inventories rose by 2.3mn bl to 240.7mn bl, while distillate stocks increased by 1.79mn bl to 134.5mn bl.</p><p>ik/mg/dcb</p><p><br> Send comments to <a href="mailto:feedback@argusmedia.com" target="_parent"> feedback@argusmedia.com </a></p><p><u><a href="http://www.argusmedia.com/Info/General/News" target="_TOP"> Request more information </a></u> about Argus' energy and commodity news, data and analysis services. </p><p><i> Copyright © 2015 Argus Media Ltd - <a href="http://www.argusmedia.com/" target="_TOP"> www.argusmedia.com </a> - All rights reserved. </i></p></article>
