US crude oil reserves increased in last week: EIA

Aug 4 (Reuters) – US stocks of crude oil and distillates rose last week, with gasoline stocks falling, the government’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) said on Wednesday.

* Crude inventory rose by 3.6 million barrels in the week to July 30 to 439.2 million barrels. Analysts polled by Reuters expected a drop of 3.1 million barrels.

* Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, distribution center fell 543,000 barrels, the EIA said.

* Refining increased by 45,000 barrels per day. The utilization rate for the week increased by 0.2 percent.

* Gasoline reserves fell by 5.3 million barrels to 228.9 million barrels. Analysts consulted by Reuters expected a drop of 1.8 million barrels.

* Inventory of distillates, which include heating oil and diesel, increased by 833,000 barrels to 138.7 million barrels, which is expected to decrease by 543,000 barrels, the EIA report showed.

* In the past week, net crude oil imports into the United States rose by 510,000 barrels per day.

(Reporting by David Gaffen, Editing in Spanish by Janice Humbachano)