U.S. Crude Oil Supplies Rise on Higher Net Imports

U.S. crude oil inventories increased last week as imports rose and exports fell, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

Commercial crude oil stocks excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve were up by 2.8 million barrels at 426.9 million barrels in the week ended Nov. 21 and were about 4% below the five-year average for the time of year, the EIA said. Analysts in a Wall Street Journal survey predicted a 1.3 million barrel decline.