US commercial crude inventories rose by 922,000 barrels to 427.3 million in the week ended September 25, the Energy Information Administration reported. Analysts surveyed by Reuters had expected a draw of about 264,000 barrels.
What it means: Does more crude in storage mean cheaper gas straight away? Not necessarily. Crude is only one part of the fuel market: refinery output, gasoline and diesel stocks, seasonal demand and global supply also affect prices. The build offers a little more supply cushion in the latest weekly snapshot, but it does not guarantee that drivers will see lower prices at the pump.