U.S. crude oil inventories increase for first time in 2 months

HOUSTON, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. crude oil inventories saw their turning point after consecutive falls in the last two months, and the refining sector input less crude than the previous week's average, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Wednesday.

According to the Weekly Petroleum Status Report by the EIA, U.S. commercial crude oil inventories of the week ending Jan. 26 increased 6.8 million barrels from the previous week, excluding those in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

At 418.4 million barrels, U.S. crude oil inventories are in the middle of the average range for this time of year.

Total products supplied over the last four-week period averaged 20.8 million barrels per day, up by 7.6 percent from the same period last year.

Compared with the same four-week period last year, motor gasoline product supplied was up by 7.1 percent with an average of about 8.8 million barrels per day. Meanwhile, distillate fuel product supplied averaged about 4.2 million barrels per day, up by 13.3 percent from the same period last year. Enditem