Ethanol production drops 4.4% to 13-week low

In Washington, according to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending April 7, ethanol production dropped 4.4 percent to a 13-week low of 959,000 b/d, equivalent to 40.28 million gallons daily. The volume produced was 3.6 percent less than the same week last year but 5.8 percent above the five-year average for the week. The four-week average ethanol production rate declined 1.3 percent to 991,000 b/d, equivalent to an annualized rate of 15.19 billion gallons (bg).

Ethanol stocks were incrementally lower at 25.1 million barrels. However, stocks were 1.3 percent higher than a year ago and 7.6 percent above the five-year average. Inventories thinned across the East Coast (PADD 1) and Rocky Mountains (PADD 4) but built across the remaining regions.

The volume of gasoline supplied to the U.S. market, a measure of implied demand, scaled back 3.9 percent to 8.94 million b/d (136.99 bg annualized). Yet, demand was 2.3 percent more than a year ago and 6.3 percent above the five-year average.

Refiner/blender net inputs of ethanol ticked up 0.3 percent to 891,000 b/d, equivalent to 13.66 bg annualized. Net inputs were 0.5 percent above the same week last year and 8.0 percent more than the five-year average.

There were zero imports of ethanol recorded for the eighteenth consecutive week. (Weekly export data for ethanol is not reported simultaneously; the latest export data is as of February 2023.)