Ethanol production expands 1.8%, reaches 28 week high

In Washington, D.C., ethanol production expanded by 19,000 barrels per day (b/d), or 1.8%, to 1.083 million b/d— equivalent to 45.49 million gallons daily and a 28-week high, according to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association.

The four-week average ethanol production rate continued its rise for the tenth consecutive week, up 0.6% to a five-month high of 1.070 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.40 billion gallons. Ethanol stocks narrowed by 1.5% to 21.5 million barrels. Inventories were 7.2% lower than the same week last year. Stocks declined in all regions except the Midwest (PADD 2). Gulf Coast (PADD 3) stocks are the lowest in six months. There were zero imports of ethanol recorded for the second straight week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of October 2019.)

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market settled 1.1% lower to 9.303 million b/d (390.73 million gallons per day, or 142.61 bg annualized). Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol scaled up 2.9% to 938,000 b/d—equivalent to 14.38 bg annualized. Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production increased to 11.64%.