EIA Sees Massive Build in US Crude Inventories

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a surprise and historically large build in commercial crude oil inventories for the week ending August 7, 2026. Commercial stocks (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) rose by 17.4 million barrels to 424.4 million barrels—the largest weekly increase since January 2023 and well above analyst expectations of a draw […]

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US Oil and Refined Products Inventories Down

U.S. commercial crude oil inventories rose last week, but Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) draws and sharp declines in key refined products left overall oil and product stocks tighter, according to the Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Weekly Petroleum Status Report released today for the week ending July 31, 2026. Key Inventory Highlights (Week Ending July 31, […]

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US Crude Oil Inventories Decreased by 7.2 mb to 404.5 mb

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its Weekly Petroleum Status Report on July 29, 2026, covering the week ending July 24, 2026. Commercial crude oil inventories (excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve) fell by 7.2 million barrels (precisely 7.167 million barrels) to 404.5 million barrels. This marked a sharp draw that far exceeded market expectations […]

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What are tank bottoms?

Crude oil inventories held at storage facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma, fell below 20 million barrels during the week ending June 19 until the week ending July 10, according to our Weekly Petroleum Status Report. Storage facilities for crude oil and petroleum products require a minimum volume of product in their tanks and pipe infrastructure to remain […]

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Anas Alhajji Asks the Right Questions: How Long Can Strong U.S. Petroleum Product Exports Continue Before Causing Domestic Shortages and Price Spikes?

Energy markets are flashing warning signs as U.S. petroleum product exports remain near record highs while domestic inventories tighten amid escalating geopolitical risks in the Middle East. Veteran energy analyst Anas Alhajji (@anasalhajji) highlighted these concerns in his July 9, 2026, Daily Energy Report on X and Substack, posing a series of pointed questions that […]

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Iran Asserts Control over Hormuz, Setting Stage for Tolls as Oil Tankers Hold Back Amid Lingering Uncertainty

Iran is tightening its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical oil chokepoint, with new rules requiring ships to obtain permission and secure insurance from Tehran. This move explicitly paves the way for future tolls, even as a fragile U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed earlier this week aimed to normalize flows. […]

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Supply and Demand for Oil will meet up eventually

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil is trading around $75 per barrel today, with Brent near $78. Following the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, headline prices have eased significantly from the peaks above $120 seen during the conflict. Yet a growing disconnect exists between these paper/futures prices and the […]

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