The Energy Information Administration said U.S. ethanol output was down modestly during the week ending on February 20, while ethanol inventories rose to the highest level in a month. Production fell to an average of 1.113 million barrels a day, which the agency said was down from 1.118 million the previous week.
The bulk of the losses were in the Gulf Coast region, where output dropped to an average of 21,000 barrels a day from 29,000 barrels during the prior week. West Coast production was down by a thousand barrels a day to 9,000. In the Midwest, output slightly increased to 1.06 million barrels a day, on average, from 1.058 million barrels the week before. East Coast and Rocky Mountain production were both unchanged at an average of 11,000 barrels daily.
Ethanol inventories on February 20 rose to 25.646 million barrels, the most in storage since the seven days ending on January 16.