Ethanol production drops 0.9% for the week

In Washington, D.C., ethanol production moderated with a 0.9% decline, or 9,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 1.035 million b/d—equivalent to 43.47 million gallons daily, according to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association. The four-week average ethanol production rate declined 0.1% to 1.053 million b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 16.14 billion gallons.

Ethanol stocks expanded 1.1% to 24.6 million barrels. Inventories shifted higher across all regions except the East Coast (PADD 1) and Midwest (PADD 2).

There were zero imports of ethanol recorded after 9,000 b/d hit the books the prior week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of January 2020.)

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market accelerated by 2.6% to 9.696 million b/d (407.23 million gallons per day, or 148.64 bg annualized), the largest volume since mid-September. However, refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol veered 0.4% lower to 915,000 b/d—equivalent to 14.03 bg annualized.

Expressed as a percentage of daily gasoline demand, daily ethanol production retreated to 10.67%.