EIA Reports 3M Barrel Crude Build; Distillate Stocks 12% Below Five-Year Average

U.S. crude oil inventories rose by 3 million barrels in the week ending September 18, 2026, bringing commercial stockpiles to 426.4 million barrels — 2% above the five-year average, the Energy Information Administration reported Wednesday. The build exceeded the 1.786 million-barrel increase reported a day earlier by the American Petroleum Institute. Gasoline inventories fell 1.7 million barrels, while middle distillates declined 400,000 barrels, leaving distillate stocks 12% below the five-year average. Brent crude traded at $101.40 per barrel, up $2.15 (2.17%) on the day, while WTI rose $1.47 (1.63%) to $92.00. Both benchmarks remain down roughly $6 and $10 per barrel, respectively, from a week earlier. Total products supplied — a proxy for U.S. oil demand — averaged 20.6 million barrels per day over the past four weeks, up 0.5% year over year.