EIA WPSR · Signed Brief

Crude Inventories Rise 0.1 Million Barrels in Fourth Consecutive Weekly Build; Gasoline and Distillate Stocks Fall

EIA data for the week ending August 21 showed commercial crude stocks at 428.9 million barrels, distillate inventories down for a fourth consecutive week at 103.4 million barrels, and refinery utilization at 97.4 percent.

By — Founder, Kitalpha Finance
Published 28 August 2026
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6/6 claims entailed against the primary source (100% grounded, ≥ 90% floor), checked by claude-opus-4-8. Published by Daniel Zhang.

AI-assisted, human-published. This brief was drafted by an automated, source-bound process from primary sources. Every claim cites a verifiable source: figures taken exactly as the EIA published them, the week-over-week changes computed from them, and streak counts computed from our own stored history, deterministic comparisons computed from those records, and any market probabilities attributed to their venue and capture time. Each claim was checked against its source by an automated groundedness firewall. The system cannot publish: this brief was reviewed and published by the named editor above, who is accountable for it, and it carries a cryptographic Signed Brief receipt. See our Editorial Standards. General information only — not financial advice.

Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) rose 0.1 million barrels to 428.9 million barrels from 428.8 million barrels, marking 4 consecutive weekly increases ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, according to Weekly Petroleum Status Report data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration [D1]Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve): week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — an increase of 0.1 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E1]Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve), week ending August 21, 2026: 428.9 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E2]Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve), week ending August 14, 2026: 428.8 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[S1]Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve): 4 consecutive weekly increase (build)s ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, computed from 5 weeks of our own stored history. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗.

Total motor gasoline inventories fell 2.5 million barrels to 206.8 million barrels from 209.4 million barrels for the week ending August 21, 2026 [D2]Total motor gasoline inventories: week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — a decrease of 2.5 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E3]Total motor gasoline inventories, week ending August 21, 2026: 206.8 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E4]Total motor gasoline inventories, week ending August 14, 2026: 209.4 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗.

Distillate fuel inventories fell 2.2 million barrels to 103.4 million barrels from 105.6 million barrels, marking 4 consecutive weekly declines ending with the week ending August 21, 2026 [D3]Distillate fuel inventories: week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — a decrease of 2.2 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E5]Distillate fuel inventories, week ending August 21, 2026: 103.4 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E6]Distillate fuel inventories, week ending August 14, 2026: 105.6 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[S2]Distillate fuel inventories: 4 consecutive weekly decline (draw)s ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, computed from 5 weeks of our own stored history. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗.

Refinery utilization rose 0.2 percentage points to 97.4 percent from 97.2 percent, marking 2 consecutive weekly increases ending with the week ending August 21, 2026 [D4]Refinery utilization (percent of operable capacity): week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — an increase of 0.2 percent. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E7]Refinery utilization (percent of operable capacity), week ending August 21, 2026: 97.4 percent. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E8]Refinery utilization (percent of operable capacity), week ending August 14, 2026: 97.2 percent. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[S3]Refinery utilization (percent of operable capacity): 2 consecutive weekly increase (build)s ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, computed from 5 weeks of our own stored history. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗.

U.S. crude oil field production rose 13,000 barrels per day to 13.8 million barrels per day, marking 4 consecutive weekly increases ending with the week ending August 21, 2026 [D5]U.S. crude oil field production: week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — an increase of 13,000 barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E9]U.S. crude oil field production, week ending August 21, 2026: 13.8 million barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E10]U.S. crude oil field production, week ending August 14, 2026: 13.8 million barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[S4]U.S. crude oil field production: 4 consecutive weekly increase (build)s ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, computed from 5 weeks of our own stored history. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗.

U.S. crude oil imports fell 435,000 barrels per day to 6.2 million barrels per day from 6.6 million barrels per day, marking 2 consecutive weekly declines ending with the week ending August 21, 2026 [D6]U.S. crude oil imports: week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — a decrease of 435,000 barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E11]U.S. crude oil imports, week ending August 21, 2026: 6.2 million barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[E12]U.S. crude oil imports, week ending August 14, 2026: 6.6 million barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗[S5]U.S. crude oil imports: 2 consecutive weekly decline (draw)s ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, computed from 5 weeks of our own stored history. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗.

The next Weekly Petroleum Status Report is scheduled for release on September 2, 2026 [C1]The next Weekly Petroleum Status Report is scheduled for release on September 2, 2026. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗.

Sources

  1. [D1]Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve): week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — an increase of 0.1 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  2. [E1]Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve), week ending August 21, 2026: 428.9 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  3. [E2]Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve), week ending August 14, 2026: 428.8 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  4. [S1]Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve): 4 consecutive weekly increase (build)s ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, computed from 5 weeks of our own stored history. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  5. [D2]Total motor gasoline inventories: week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — a decrease of 2.5 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  6. [E3]Total motor gasoline inventories, week ending August 21, 2026: 206.8 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  7. [E4]Total motor gasoline inventories, week ending August 14, 2026: 209.4 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  8. [D3]Distillate fuel inventories: week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — a decrease of 2.2 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  9. [E5]Distillate fuel inventories, week ending August 21, 2026: 103.4 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  10. [E6]Distillate fuel inventories, week ending August 14, 2026: 105.6 million barrels. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  11. [S2]Distillate fuel inventories: 4 consecutive weekly decline (draw)s ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, computed from 5 weeks of our own stored history. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  12. [D4]Refinery utilization (percent of operable capacity): week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — an increase of 0.2 percent. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  13. [E7]Refinery utilization (percent of operable capacity), week ending August 21, 2026: 97.4 percent. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  14. [E8]Refinery utilization (percent of operable capacity), week ending August 14, 2026: 97.2 percent. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  15. [S3]Refinery utilization (percent of operable capacity): 2 consecutive weekly increase (build)s ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, computed from 5 weeks of our own stored history. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  16. [D5]U.S. crude oil field production: week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — an increase of 13,000 barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  17. [E9]U.S. crude oil field production, week ending August 21, 2026: 13.8 million barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  18. [E10]U.S. crude oil field production, week ending August 14, 2026: 13.8 million barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  19. [S4]U.S. crude oil field production: 4 consecutive weekly increase (build)s ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, computed from 5 weeks of our own stored history. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  20. [D6]U.S. crude oil imports: week-over-week change from the two cells cited beside it — a decrease of 435,000 barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  21. [E11]U.S. crude oil imports, week ending August 21, 2026: 6.2 million barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  22. [E12]U.S. crude oil imports, week ending August 14, 2026: 6.6 million barrels per day. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  23. [S5]U.S. crude oil imports: 2 consecutive weekly decline (draw)s ending with the week ending August 21, 2026, computed from 5 weeks of our own stored history. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗
  24. [C1]The next Weekly Petroleum Status Report is scheduled for release on September 2, 2026. — U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. eia.gov ↗