Ethanol Stocks Post 1st Draw in 10 Weeks

OAKHURST, N.J. (DTN) -- Total domestic ethanol inventories declined for the first time in 10 weeks, moving off a better than 30-week high, though demand for the fuel slid to the lowest level since late May, midmorning data from the Energy Information Administration show.

Blending activity, a measure of demand, tumbled 12.1% or 99,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 719,000 bpd, down 14.5% from the same week in 2019, data show. Blending activity during the four weeks ended Jan. 1 averaged 785,000 bpd, 99,000 bpd below the comparable year-ago period.

At 23.284 million bbl, domestic ethanol supply decreased 220,000 bbl in the week reviewed, 3.6% more than a year ago.

EIA reported East Coast PADD 1 declined for the first time in seven weeks, down 210,000 bbl to 7.187 million bbl while Midwest PADD 2 supply decreased 125,000 bbl to 7.904 million bbl.

At the Gulf Coast PADD 3, stocks rose for a second week, up 145,000 bbl to 4.642 million bbl and stocks along the West Coast PADD 5 stocks added 27,000 bbl to 3.167 million bbl.

Ethanol plant production edged up 1,000 bbl to 935,000 bpd in the week ended Dec. 25, 12% lower than the corresponding week in 2019. Four-week average output dropped 119,000 bpd against year ago to 1,069,000 bpd.

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