US commercial crude oil inventories rose unexpectedly last week while gasoline stockpiles were sharply down, the Energy Department reported Wednesday in its weekly survey.
In the week ending July 29, the country's commercial crude oil inventories increased by 200,000 barrels to 318 million barrels, or 8 percent above the year ago level, according to the survey.
Gasoline stockpiles last week fell by 4 million barrels to 205.2 million, or 3 percent below last year's level.
The data for commercial crude oil inventories does not include the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is now nearly 700 million barrels.
179
US Oil Inventories Up, Gasoline Down
US commercial crude oil inventories rose unexpectedly last week, however, gasoline stockpiles plunged
