According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending October 7, ethanol production ratcheted up 4.8% to 932,000 b/d, equivalent to 39.14 million gallons daily. However, production was 9.7% less than the same week last year and 6.2% below the five-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production volume declined 0.9% to 894,000 b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 13.71 billion gallons (bg).
Ethanol stocks grew 0.8% to 21.9 million barrels. Stocks were 10.2% higher than a year ago and 1.7% above the five-year average. Inventories built in the East Coast (PADD 1) and West Coast (PADD 5) but thinned across the other regions.
The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, plummeted 12.6% to a 13-week low of 8.28 million b/d (126.87 bg annualized). Demand was 9.9% less than a year ago and 8.9% below the five-year average.
Conversely, refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol increased 0.9% to 904,000 b/d, equivalent to 13.86 bg annualized. Net inputs were even with a year ago and 1.0% below the five-year average.
There were no imports of ethanol for the sixth consecutive week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of August 2022.)
