FX.co ★ US Crude Oil Inventories Rise for 5th Week

US crude oil inventories rose by 6.926 million barrels in the week ending March 20, 2026, far exceeding expectations for a 0.5 million-barrel increase and marking the fifth straight weekly build. Stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery hub expanded by 3.421 million barrels, the largest weekly gain since January 2023. Distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, grew by 3.032 million barrels, defying forecasts that had projected a 1.3 million-barrel decline. Meanwhile, US gasoline inventories fell by 2.593 million barrels, a larger drawdown than the expected 2.1 million-barrel decrease.