By Anthony Harrup
U.S. crude oil inventories likely rose for a fourth consecutive week while product stocks are seen lower, according to a survey by The Wall Street Journal.
Commercial crude stocks are expected to have risen by a half million barrels to 429.3 million barrels in the week ended Aug. 21, according to the average estimate of six analysts and traders. Three expect an increase and three predict a drop, with estimates ranging from a 3.3 million barrel build to a 1.9 million barrel draw.
Gasoline inventories are forecast to be down by 1.3 million barrels at 208.1 million barrels, with estimates ranging from a 1.1 million barrel increase to a 2.5 million barrel decline.
Stocks of distillate fuel, mostly diesel, are expected to have fallen by 1.1 million barrels to 104.5 million barrels. Forecasts range from a 2.2 million barrel draw to a 2.7 million barrel build.
Refinery capacity use is seen slipping by one tenth of a percentage point to 97.1%, with estimates ranging from a 0.7 percentage point decline to a 0.4 percentage point rise. One analyst didn't forecast refinery runs.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration is scheduled to release the inventory data on Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. EDT.
Crude Gasoline Distillates Refinery Use
Again Capital -1.9 -1.1 -2.2 0.4
Rystad Energy 1.6 -2.5 -1.9 -0.7
Excel Futures 3.3 1.1 -1.6 -0.5
Spartan Capital Securities -0.8 -1.8 2.7 n/f
Price Futures Group 3.0 -2.0 -2.0 unch
Ritterbusch and Associates -1.9 -1.5 -1.5 0.3
AVERAGE 0.5 -1.3 -1.1 -0.1
Note: Numbers in millions of barrels, with the exception of refinery use, which is in percentage points.
n/f = no forecast
unch = unchanged
Write to Anthony Harrup at anthony.harrup@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
August 25, 2026 13:19 ET (17:19 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
