Petroleum Data Terminal
EIA Crude Oil Inventory and Petroleum Market Analysis
How to read the EIA weekly petroleum report
Every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) publishes the Weekly Petroleum Status Report, the most closely followed snapshot of the U.S. oil market. The report covers the week ending the previous Friday and lands all at once: commercial crude oil stocks, gasoline and distillate inventories, refinery utilization, U.S. production, imports, exports, and product supplied. When a federal holiday shortens the week, the release usually shifts by one day. The terminal above republishes the headline series after each release so the levels on this page always match the latest report.
Start with the consensus, not the headline
Before the release, analyst polls produce a consensus forecast for the change in crude, gasoline, and distillate stocks. Prices react mainly to the gap between the printed figure and that consensus. A draw of 3 million barrels can push prices down if the consensus expected a draw of 6 million, and a small build can lift prices if a large build was feared. The EIA itself publishes no forecast, and the private American Petroleum Institute survey released on Tuesday afternoons often previews the direction, though the two surveys regularly disagree on size. Read the headline change on this page against the consensus reported that morning, then check whether the product lines confirm the crude signal or contradict it.
The lines that matter, in order
Commercial crude stocks are the headline. Judge the level against the five-year average for the same time of year rather than against zero: stocks normally build in the autumn refinery maintenance season and draw through the summer driving season, so the same level can be loose in one month and tight in another. Cushing, Oklahoma stocks deserve a separate look because Cushing is the WTI futures delivery point, and tightness there moves the prompt contract even when national stocks look ample. Gasoline and distillate stocks show the product side of the balance; distillates include diesel and heating oil, so that line carries extra weight heading into winter. Refinery utilization explains much of the weekly noise, since a refinery outage can build crude and draw products at the same time. Production, imports, and exports are the flows behind the stock change, and product supplied is the EIA demand proxy that tells you whether fuel is actually being consumed.
A worked reading of the latest report
For the week ending Oct 30, 2026, U.S. commercial crude stocks stood at 409.8 million barrels, down 0.9 million on the week and 23 million barrels below the five-year average of 432.8 million, inside a five-year range of 404.5 to 481.2 million. Cushing held 27.3 million barrels, up 0.3 million on the week. Gasoline stocks were 209 million barrels and distillates 99.3 million. Refineries ran at 94.5% of operable capacity while U.S. production was 14,003 thousand barrels per day. Read together, those lines say more than any single headline: the stock change tells you the direction of the week, the five-year comparison tells you whether the market is tight or loose for the season, and the refinery and production lines tell you whether the move is likely to repeat next week or reverse.
Go deeper: our full guide to reading the Weekly Petroleum Status Report walks through every table in the release. For the drilling side of U.S. supply, see the Baker Hughes rig count, updated after each Friday release, and for the global balance behind U.S. trade flows, see the global oil map. The official source is the EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Report.
Frequently asked questions
When is the EIA crude oil inventory report released?
The U.S. Energy Information Administration publishes the Weekly Petroleum Status Report on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The report covers the week ending the previous Friday. When a federal holiday falls in the release week, publication typically shifts by one day.
What does a build or a draw in crude oil stocks mean?
A build means commercial crude oil inventories rose during the week, so supply outpaced refinery demand and imports added more than refiners took in. A draw means inventories fell. Traders compare the size of the build or draw with what analysts expected, because the surprise against consensus, not the headline alone, is what usually moves prices.
What is the consensus number for the EIA report?
Before each release, news services poll analysts for their expected change in crude, gasoline, and distillate stocks. The median forecast is the consensus. The EIA publishes the actual figures only; it does not publish a forecast. A print close to consensus usually draws a muted reaction, while a large miss in either direction can move WTI and Brent within seconds.
Why do traders watch Cushing, Oklahoma stocks separately?
Cushing is the delivery point for NYMEX WTI crude oil futures, so the barrels stored there are the barrels that can be delivered against the contract. Falling Cushing stocks can tighten the prompt WTI market even when national stocks are comfortable, and rising Cushing stocks can do the opposite.
Is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve included in commercial crude stocks?
No. The headline commercial crude oil figure excludes the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which the government holds separately for supply emergencies. This page reports the SPR as its own line so the two are never mixed.
What else in the report matters besides crude stocks?
Gasoline and distillate stocks show whether refiners are keeping up with fuel demand, refinery utilization shows how hard refineries are running, and the production, import, and export lines explain why stocks moved. Product supplied, the EIA demand proxy, ties the report together: strong supplied numbers alongside falling stocks point to genuine demand strength rather than a supply hiccup.
Terminal Data Links
EIA Data Items
Direct links to each data item in the PetroEyes analysis terminal. Use these anchors to open a specific metric view for prices, inventories, production, demand, drilling, or refining.