Ethanol production declines to smallest volume in 37 weeks

In Washington, D.C., ethanol production declined 1.1% to the smallest volume in 37 weeks at an average of 1.000 million barrels per day (b/d)—or 42.00 million gallons daily, according to government data released and analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association. The four-week average for ethanol production settled lower at 1.025 million b/d for an annualized rate of 15.71 billion gallons. Stocks of ethanol ticked 0.4% higher to 23.3 million barrels. There were zero imports recorded for the eighth week in a row. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of October 2018.)

Average weekly gasoline supplied to the market perked up 1.3% at 8.735 million b/d (366.9 million gallons per day), equivalent to 133.91 billion gallons annualized. Refiner/blender input of ethanol pared back by 6.1% (down 53,000 b/d) at 815,000 b/d—equivalent to 12.49 billion gallons annualized. The ethanol content in gasoline supplied to the market averaged 9.33%, a 38-week low. The holiday week for ethanol is typically weak for ethanol blending, but the refiner/blender net input outpaces year-ago levels by 2.5%. Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline supplied to the market, daily ethanol production decreased to 11.45%.