U.S. demand for gasoline and distillate remains solid even amid higher prices caused by the Iran war, though soaring costs seems to be weighing on jet fuel, the latest data from the Energy Information Administration show.

EIA data for the week ended Friday show that gasoline products supplied during the week -- EIA's reading of implied demand -- averaged 9.055 million b/d. That was down 33,000 b/d from the week before and 359,000 b/d lower than at this time last year. But it was also 632,000 b/d higher than levels seen at this time in 2024, and the four-week average of 8.848 million b/d was also 149,000 b/d above the same period in 2025.

Distillate demand last week averaged 4.032 million b/d, up 192,000 b/d from the previous week and also higher than the same time in both of the past two years.

Implied demand over the past four weeks averaged 3.993 million b/d, up 132,000 b/d from the same four weeks in 2025, the data show.

Jet fuel demand, however, was down 281,000 b/d during the week to average 1.599 million b/d. That was 326,000 b/d lower than the same week last year, while the four-week average of 1.735 million b/d was down 121,000 b/d from the four-week period in 2025.

The war continues to support U.S. petroleum exports, with the 8.083 million b/d weekly product export average a record and the first time the number has topped the 8 million b/d mark.

Gasoline exports, while not a record, were still a solid 915,00 b/d, a 15,000 b/d increase from the week before. Distillate exports of 1.601 million b/d were up by 11,000 b/d from the previous week and marked the first time in four months that the average has topped 1.6 million b/d.

Jet fuel exports averaged 370,000 b/d, an 80,000 b/d increase from the week before.

Imports also rose during the week. Gasoline imports averaged 587,000 b/d, up 271,000 b/d from the previous week. Much of that increase was in barrels flowing into the East Coast (PADD 1), with imports there up 257,000 b/d to 332,000 b/d. West Coast (PADD 5) imports rose by 22,000 b/d to average 254,000 b/d.

U.S. distillate imports were up 72,000 b/d to average 190,000 b/d, with the East Coast up 61,000 b/d to 159,000 b/d and the West Coast, up 5,000 b/d to 11,000 b/d.

Jet fuel imports were 45,000 b/d higher to 131,000 b/d.

U.S. gasoline inventories fell by 4.6 million bbl during the week. It was the 10th straight weekly decline for inventories, which at 228.4 million bbl are now 0.5% below the seasonal five-year average. Most of those declines came from the Midwest (PADD 2) and Gulf Coast (PADD 3), which each saw stockpiles shrink by more than 2 million bbl. Supplies in both regions were below the same time last year and in 2024.

Distillate supplies fell by 3.4 million bbl. At 108.1 million bbl, supplies are now 8% below the seasonal average. West Coast distillate inventories of 10.7 million bbl remain about 800,000 bbl below the same time last year and off by 1 million bbl from this time in 2024.

U.S. refinery utilization fell slightly during the week, with refineries operating at 89.1% of capacity, half a percentage point below the previous week.

Gross inputs fell by nearly 90,000 b/d to 16.18 million b/d, which was below the same week in each of the past two years.

Gasoline production during the week averaged 10.076 million b/d, up 315,000 b/d for the week and 3,000 b/d higher than a year ago. Distillate production averaged 4.953 million b/d, a week-to-week increase of 87,000 b/d and 327,000 b/d higher than a year ago.

Jet fuel production averaged 2.007 million b/d, 41,000 b/d higher than the previous week and up 216,000 b/d from a year ago.

Commercial crude inventories rose by 1.9 million bbl. Supplies now total 465.7 million bbl and are 3% above the seasonal five-year average. Crude production averaged 13.585 million b/d during the week, down 11,000 b/d from the week before. Crude exports averaged 4.798 million b/d, down 427,000 b/d from a week earlier and 1.249 million b/d higher than this time last year. Imports averaged 6.078 million b/d, a 787,000 b/d increase from the previous week and 489,000 b/d higher than the same week last year.


This content was created by Oil Price Information Service, which is operated by Dow Jones & Co. OPIS is run independently from Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal.


-- Reporting by Steve Cronin, scronin@opisnet.com; Editing by Michael Kelly, mkelly@opisnet.com


(END) Dow Jones Newswires

04-22-26 1430ET