US crude inventories increased by 6.16 million barrels to 449.3 million for the week ending March 13th, 2026, surpassing forecasts of a 0.4 million-barrel rise and marking the fourth consecutive weekly increase. At the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub, crude stocks climbed by 944,000 barrels. Refinery activity picked up, with crude runs rising 63,000 barrels per day and utilization rates increasing 0.6 percentage points to 91.4%. Distillate inventories, including diesel and heating oil, fell by 2.5 million barrels to 116.9 million, steeper than the expected 1.5 million-barrel drop. US gasoline stocks also declined by 5.4 million barrels to 244.1 million, exceeding the anticipated 1.6 million-barrel decrease.
