EIA: Ethanol Production Up 1%, Ending Stocks Up 3%

  • Friday, 21 August 2020 09:26

Ethanol Producer Magazine

Aug 19, 2020

U.S. ethanol production increased by nearly 1 percent the week ending Aug. 14, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Aug. 19. Weekly ending stocks of fuel ethanol were up nearly 3 percent.

U.S. ethanol production averaged 926,000 barrels per day the week ending Aug. 14, up from 918,000 barrels per day the previous week. Production seems to have stabilized in recent weeks after falling to historic lows last spring due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

EIA data shows U.S. ethanol production hit a low of 537,000 barrels per day the week ending April 24. Production trended upward in May and June as travel restrictions associated with the pandemic began to ease and fuel demand increased. Production levels since July have generally stabilized in the range of 900,000 to 950,000 barrels per day, down roughly 10 percent when compared to the same period of last year.  

Ethanol production was down 97,000 barrels per day when compared to the same week of last year, and down 153,000 barrels per day when compared to the final week of February, before COVID-19 began to impact fuel markets.

Weekly ending stocks for fuel ethanol increased to 20.27 million barrels the week ending Aug. 14, up from 19.75 million barrels the previous week. Stocks of fuel ethanol have fallen significantly over the past few months after reaching a record high of 27.689 million barrels the week ending April 17. When compared to the same week of last year, ethanol stocks were down 3.097 million barrels.

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