US Crude Oil, Product Inventories Fall Even As Hormuz Traffic Begins to Flow

The American Petroleum Institute (API) estimated that crude oil inventories in the United States fell by 399,000 barrels in the week ending July 3. In the week prior, US crude oil inventories fell by 6.072 million barrels.

Although commercial crude oil inventories excluding the SPR have been falling rapidly for more than two months, shedding almost 60 million barrels over the last twelve weeks, US crude inventories are only down 8.6 million barrels so far this year, according to API data, kept in check by draws from the SPR.

For the week ending July 3, another 6.2 million barrels left the SPR, bringing the new total to 325.7 million barrels—lower than the 2023 low reached during the Biden Administration’s huge drawdown and the lowest level in over four decades. SPR inventories are now 405 million barrels shy of maximum capacity.

US production fell to 13.810 million bpd for the week ending June 26, down from 13.819 million bpd in the week prior, according to the latest EIA data, and up 377,000 bpd from a year earlier.

At 3:34 pm ET on Tuesday, Brent crude was trading up on the day at $76.07 (+5.67%) after a series of attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

WTI was also trading up on the day, by $3.68 per barrel (+5.37%) at $72.23, which is a roughly $2 per barrel increase from last Tuesday.

Gasoline inventories fell this week, by 2.929 million barrels in the week ending July 3. In the week prior, gasoline inventories decreased by 2.106 million barrels. In the week prior, gasoline inventories were already 7% below the five-year average for this time of year, according to the latest EIA data.

Distillate inventories fell by 1.801 million barrels, after gaining 2.9 million barrels in the week prior. Distillate inventories were already 8% below the five-year average as of the week ending June 26, the latest EIA data shows.

Cushing inventory—the inventory kept at the delivery hub for the WTI Crude futures contract—fell 69,000 barrels over the reporting period after rising 503,000 barrels in the week prior.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com

 

  • Related Posts

    Hormuz Tanker Traffic Stops

    In a market update sent to Rigzone on Wednesday by Rystad Energy, Jorge Leon, Head of Geopolitical Analysis at Rystad, noted that tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had…

    Oil Price Surge Shows Markets Were Too Relaxed About Iran Deal

    Wednesday’s jump in oil prices to a two-week high suggests that market participants were too complacent about the U.S.-Iran ‘deal to make a deal’ and that the ceasefire would hold…

    Have You Seen?

    Nuada deploys capture facility to advance Europe’s biogenic CO2 market

    • July 9, 2026
    Nuada deploys capture facility to advance Europe’s biogenic CO2 market

    Hormuz Tanker Traffic Stops

    • July 9, 2026
    Hormuz Tanker Traffic Stops

    Axpo injects first biomethane into Italian grid

    • July 9, 2026
    Axpo injects first biomethane into Italian grid

    CI4C launches Europe’s first pure oxyfuel cement R&D plant

    • July 9, 2026
    CI4C launches Europe’s first pure oxyfuel cement R&D plant

    Africa’s Angola LNG enters 32-day maintenance shutdown

    • July 9, 2026
    Africa’s Angola LNG enters 32-day maintenance shutdown

    Baker Hughes wins three Sabine Pass LNG contracts

    • July 9, 2026
    Baker Hughes wins three Sabine Pass LNG contracts

    CRUDE AWAKENING: Oil Refiners’ Hormuz Windfall May Prove Short-Lived: Bousso

    • July 9, 2026
    CRUDE AWAKENING: Oil Refiners’ Hormuz Windfall May Prove Short-Lived: Bousso

    Oil Prices fall as Markets Weigh Impact of US Strikes on Iran

    • July 9, 2026
    Oil Prices fall as Markets Weigh Impact of US Strikes on Iran

    U.S. LNG Exporter Reaps Windfall as Middle East Turmoil Drives Fees Higher

    • July 9, 2026
    U.S. LNG Exporter Reaps Windfall as Middle East Turmoil Drives Fees Higher

    Hormuz Tanker Traffic Grinds to a Halt After U.S.-Iran Escalation

    • July 9, 2026
    Hormuz Tanker Traffic Grinds to a Halt After U.S.-Iran Escalation