Ethanol production up 0.5% over last week, but still down 10.3% over same week in 2019

In Washington, D.C., ethanol production climbed 0.5% higher, or 4,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 931,000 b/d—equivalent to 39.10 million gallons daily, according to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association. Production remained 10.3% below the same week in 2019 as a result of the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The four-week average ethanol production rate declined 0.8% to 926,000 b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 14.20 billion gallons.

Ethanol stocks increased 0.7% to 20.4 million barrels, which was 11.2% below year-ago volumes. Inventories bulked up in the Gulf Coast (PADD 3), Rocky Mountains (PADD 4), and West Coast (PADD 5) but shifted lower across the other regions.

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, popped up 6.2% to 9.16 million b/d (140.44 annualized). Gasoline demand remained 7.5% lower than a year ago.

Conversely, refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol softened, down 0.7% to 854,000 b/d, equivalent to 13.09 bg annualized, which was 10.6% below the year-earlier level.

The U.S. imported 12,000 b/d of ethanol, or 3.53 million gallons for the week. This marks the fourth time over the last five weeks that imports were reported. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of June 2020.)