US Ethanol Supplies Fall Again

By DTN Staff

OAKHURST, N.J. (DTN) -- Data show Midwest PADD 2 ethanol supplies dropped a fifth straight week through April 16, falling to a 22-week low as regional production continued lower, the Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday, April 21.

Midwest PADD 2 ethanol plant production declined 3,000 barrels per day (bpd) last week to 892,000 bpd, falling 37,000 bpd over the past two weeks.

Agency data show PADD 2 ethanol inventories at 6.655 million barrels (bbl) as of April 16, down 230,000 bbl to the lowest level since the week ended Nov. 13, 2020 at 6.279 million bbl.

Blending activity, a measure of demand, held at the pre-pandemic high of 890,000 bpd last week, EIA reported. Blending activity during the four weeks ended April 16 averaged 885,000 bpd, 352,000 bpd above the comparable year-ago period.

Midwest PADD 2 blending dipped 2,000 bpd on the week while at the Gulf Coast, demand held steady. For the four weeks ended April 16, EIA reports PADD 2 blending activity 92,000 bpd above the year prior while PADD 3 activity was up 57,000 bpd.

Federal data show overall domestic ethanol inventories declined a fourth week, down 71,000 bpd to a 22-week low 20.447 million bbl.

EIA reported East Coast PADD 1 stocks declined 83,000 bbl to a 19-week low 7.124 million bbl, while Gulf Coast PADD 3 stocks increased 242,000 bbl to 4.361 million bbl and West Coast PADD 5 supply decreased 23,000 bbl to 1.963 million bbl.

Overall ethanol plant production was flat at 941,000 bpd while four-week average output at 956,000 bpd was nearly 300,000 bpd higher than the corresponding four weeks in 2020.

Gulf Coast PADD 3 output increased 3,000 bpd to 18,000 bpd with data showing four-week average output 2,000 bpd more than the same time last year.

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