EIA: Ethanol Output Climbs

By DTN Staff

OAKHURST, N.J. (DTN) -- Domestic ethanol inventory edged lower in the week ended Feb. 21 while refiners again ramped up production and blending demand rose to a nine-week high, data released Wednesday morning from the Energy Information Administration shows.

The agency reported U.S. ethanol supply declined 63,000 barrels (bbl) last week to 24.718 million bbl, 4.2% higher than same week last year.

Ethanol supply in PADD 1 East Coast declined for the first time in three weeks, down 81,000 bbl to 8.733 million bbl, an 11.5% year-over-year supply surplus while PADD 2 Midwest inventories continued lower for a second week, down 115,000 bbl to 8.232 million. PADD 2 stocks are 5.7% lower than the corresponding week in 2019.

PADD 3 Gulf Coast ethanol supply increased for a third week, up 236,000 bbl to 4.640 million bbl in the week ended Feb. 21, a five-week high and a 7% year-over-year supply surplus. PADD 5 West Coast ethanol supply declined for the first time in three weeks, down 88,000 bbl to 2.719 million bbl last week.

Plant operators ramped up production 14,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 1.054 million bpd, a three-week high and 2.5% more than the same week last year. For the four weeks ended Feb. 21 output averaged 1.052 million bpd versus 1.005 million bpd in the same four weeks of 2019.

Refiner and blender net inputs continued higher, up 6,000 bpd to average 902,000 bpd during the week reviewed, a nine-week high and up 20,000 bpd from the same week in 2019. During the four weeks ended Feb. 21, blending activity averaged 890,000 bpd, up 8,000 bpd against year ago.

(CZ)

Copyright 2020 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.