CORRECTED-MARKETWIRE ALERTS

MARKETWIRE ALERTS 

MarketWire Afternoon News for January 28th:

Updated at 5:00 PM ET 

HEADLINES:

— AAR: Petroleum Carloads Up 9.7% for Week to Jan. 24

— EIA: PADD 2 Gasoline Stocks Near 11-Mo High

— EIA: PADD 1 Gasoline Stocks Hit 11-Mo High Last Week

— EIA: PADD 5 Gasoline Extends 3-Week Decline

— Fed: U.S. Interest Rates to Stay in 3.5%–3.75% Range

— ExxonMobil Reports SO2 Emission at Joliet Refinery

— EIA: PADD 3 Gasoline Inventories Dip for 2nd Straight Week

— Analysis: EIA Sees Exports Jump as Brent-WTI Spread Widens

— EIA: Crude Stocks Down, Snapping 2-Wk Build; Products Rise

— EIA: U.S. Ethanol Output Flat, Stocks Down 1.3% on Year

— EIA: Propane/Propylene Stocks See 4th Straight Weekly Drop

— Coal Provided 21% of U.S. Power in Storm Fern Week, Up 24%

NEWS:

AAR: Petroleum Carloads Up 9.7% for Week to Jan. 24

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) reports that petroleum and petroleum product carloads totaled 10,256 during the week ended January 24, rising 9.7% from the same week a year ago.

Year-to-date, petroleum and petroleum products carloads totaled 32,627, up 6.2% from the corresponding period of the prior year, an AAR report published on Wednesday (1/28) showed.

Weekly traffic for the profiled week was 481,708, up 6% from the same week a year ago.

Total carloads for the week ended January 24 reached 214,784, up 13.7% from the same week of last year.

Weekly intermodal volume was 266,924 containers and trailers, up 0.5% from the prior year.

Year-to-date, U.S. railroads reported carloads at 627,370 carloads, up 11.2% on the year. Cumulative intermodal units were 825,180, up 1.2% from the prior year.

Total rail traffic for the first two weeks of the year was 1,497,550 carloads and intermodal units, up 5.5% on the year.

EIA: PADD 2 Gasoline Stocks Near 11-Mo High

Midwest gasoline inventories reached their highest levels in nearly 11 months last week as jet fuel stockpiles rose too amid declines in distillate balances, Energy Information Administration data released Wednesday (1/28) showed.

Total motor gasoline inventories in the PADD 2 region rose by 1.1 million bbl to 60 million bbl during the week ended January 23, the EIA said in its Weekly Petroleum Status Report.

With that climb, Midwest gasoline supply reached its highest stock levels since the week ended March 7, when inventories stood at 60.1 million bbl.

The latest weekly gasoline balance was also 3.9 million bbl above the level reported in the same week last year, reflecting demand softness from reduced winter driving and ample supply.

Distillate fuel oil inventories in PADD 2 declined by 200,000 bbl to 32 million bbl during the profiled week. Stocks were 2.6 million bbl below the same week last year, helped conversely by winter heating demand that pressured year-on-year balances.

Jet fuel inventories in the Midwest rose by 100,000 bbl to 7.8 million bbl from the prior week. Current levels were 400,000 bbl higher than the same week last year, indicating adequate supply after earlier draws.

Crude oil inventories in the Midwest declined by 500,000 bbl to 108 million bbl during the reference week. These levels were 5.2 million bbl higher than levels cited the same week in the previous year.

On the supply side, crude oil imports in PADD 2 averaged 2.8 million bpd during the week ended January 23, declining from the prior report and was down 100,000 bpd from the same week last year.

Motor gasoline imports into the region dropped to 5,000 bpd, a decline of 2,000 bpd on the week and 37,000 bpd below levels cited the same week of last year.

Distillate fuel oil imports into the PADD 2 rose 7,000 bpd on the week to 30,000 bpd and was down 5,000 bpd from last year. There were no jet fuel imports for the week, EIA data showed.

The shift in PADD 2 gasoline and distillates balances came amid higher weekly retail prices reported for both by the EIA.

Retail gasoline in the Midwest rose by 4.5cts to $2.693 gallon last week, standing 11cts below the national average of $2.806 gallon. Diesel climbed 13.4cts on the week to $3.378 gallon, compared with the national average of $3.53 gallon.

EIA: PADD 1 Gasoline Stocks Hit 11-Mo High Last Week

East Coast (PADD 1) gasoline inventories climbed to an 11-month high last week, while distillate stocks also increased and jet fuel and crude oil inventories declined during the week ended January 23, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration data released Wednesday (1/28).
Motor gasoline inventories in PADD 1 rose by 1.2 million bbl to 64.4 million bbl during the reference week. The build pushed stocks to the highest level reported since the week ended March 7, when inventories stood at 65.3 million bbl, EIA data showed. Gasoline stocks were also 2.3 million bbl above the 62.1 million bbl reported in the same week last year. 
Distillate fuel oil inventories in PADD 1 climbed by 700,000 bbl to 34.5 million bbl on a weekly basis. Stocks were 2.2 million bbl above the 32.3 million bbl reported in the corresponding week of the prior year. Distillate fuel oil imports declined by 47,000 bpd to 212,000 bpd, though they were higher than the 132,000 bpd recorded in the same week of the prior year. 
In contrast, jet fuel inventories on the East Coast fell by 500,000 bbl to 8.6 million bbl last week. Jet fuel stocks were 2 million bbl lower than the 10.6 million bbl reported in the same week last year, limiting near-term surplus availability. The East Coast reported zero jet fuel imports in the reference week, compared to 25,000 bpd the prior week and 40,000 bpd in the same week of last year.
Crude oil inventories in PADD 1 declined by 500,000 bbl to 7.3 million bbl during the week profiled and were 7.6 million bbl lower than volumes recorded a year earlier. Crude oil imports into the region fell by 239,000 bpd to 549,000 bpd, compared to 517,000 bpd reported in the same week of the prior year.
Retail gasoline prices on the East Coast increased by 3.8cts to $2.801 gallon in the week ended January 26, remaining 27.5cts below the same period last year, EIA data released Tuesday (1/27) showed.  East Coast diesel prices also firmed, averaging $3.477 gallon in the reference week, up 9.9cts on the week, though they remained 3.8cts below year-ago levels.

EIA: PADD 5 Gasoline Extends 3-Week Decline

West Coast (PADD 5) gasoline inventories fell for a third consecutive week in the week ending January 23, with distillate and crude oil  balances declining as well, while jet fuel stocks edged higher, according to data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration Wednesday (1/28).

Motor gasoline inventories in PADD 5 fell by 1.0 million bbl to 30.5 million bbl in the week ending January 23. Gasoline stocks stood at 30.4 million bbl in the same week last year, EIA data showed. Gasoline imports into the region climbed, however, by 23,000 bpd to 43,000 bpd, but remained below the 60,000 bpd reported in 2025.

Distillate fuel oil inventories in the region fell by 200,000 bbl to 11.7 million bbl week-over-week. Distillate stocks were above the 11.5 million bbl reported last year. Distillate imports fell by 16,000 bpd to 7,000 bpd, while they were slightly higher than the 5,000 bpd recorded last year.

Crude oil inventories in the region fell by 1.1 million bbl to 46.8 million bbl in the week profiled. Crude stocks were below the 48.9 million bbl reported in the same week last year. Crude oil imports into the region dropped by 110,000 bpd to 995,000 bpd, well below the 1.358 million bpd reported in 2025.

Jet fuel inventories on the West Coast climbed by 100,000 bbl to 11.3 million bbl on a weekly basis. Jet fuel stocks were lower than the 11.8 million bbl reported last year. Jet fuel imports declined by 33,000 bpd to 69,000 bpd, though they were sharply above the 5,000 bpd reported a year ago.

Retail gasoline prices on the West Coast moved higher last week amid tightening regional supplies. West Coast gasoline prices increased by 4.8cts to average $3.705 gallon, though they were 17.6cts lower than the same week last year, according to EIA data released Tuesday. Gasoline prices in West Coast markets excluding California climbed by 1.8cts to $3.313 gallon, standing 19.8cts below 2025 levels, highlighting continued price divergence across the region.

In diesel, West Coast retail prices averaged $4.301 gallon, up 11.2cts on the week and 2.7cts on the year. California diesel itself climbed 5.4cts on the week to $4.712 gallon, while standing 8.1cts down on the year.

Fed: U.S. Interest Rates to Stay in 3.5%–3.75% Range

Fed: U.S. Interest Rates to Stay in 3.5

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday (1/28) it has kept benchmark U.S. interest rates in a 3.5%–3.75% range after a two-day policy meeting that weighed the risks of a soft labor market versus inflation trending higher than the central bank’s preferred level.

“The Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 3‑1/2 to 3‑3/4 percent,” the Fed’s policy-making Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement.

Prior to January, the central bank cut rates consistently in three rate decisions between September and December, resulting in a 75-basis reduction from the prior range of 4.25-4.5%.  

Market moves after latest Fed decision:

• NYMEX WTI for March delivery was up $0.69, or 1.1%, to $63.08 bbl, after a four-month high at $63.52. The ICE Brent contract for March rose $0.74, or 1.1%, to $68.31 bbl after peaking at $68.53 earlier – its highest since September.
• The Dollar Index was up 0.404 points to 96.455 against a basket of currencies, rebounding from a four-year low of 95.705 earlier in the session that came after four straight days of losses.  The dollar has lost 5% from a December high of 99.57 following U.S. trade disputes and coordinated yen interventions by global central banks that have diversified their reserves away from the currency into gold.

ExxonMobil Reports SO2 Emission at Joliet Refinery

ExxonMobil reported a process unit upset at its 275,000 bpd Joliet refinery in Channahon, Illinois resulting in the release of sulfur dioxide (SO2) caused by severe cold weather, according to a filing with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

“Process upset due to cold weather resulted in an exceedance of reportable quantities of SO2,” ExxonMobil said in the filing reported on Monday (1/26).

The Joliet refinery produces gasoline, ultra-low sulfur diesel and liquid propane gas and is designed to process Canadian heavy crude oil. The facility is one of four major refineries in Illinois and is critical to fuel supply for the Great Lakes region.

DTN contacted ExxonMobil for confirmation; however, the company did not respond at the time of publication.

EIA: PADD 3 Gasoline Inventories Dip for 2nd Straight Week

U.S. Gulf Coast (PADD 3) gasoline inventories saw a second consecutive weekly drop during the week ended January 23, as a winter storm affected refining production, according to Energy Information Administration data released Wednesday (1/28). In contrast, distillate and jet fuel stocks reported a build in the same period.

Motor gasoline inventories in the Gulf Coast region dropped by 1.3 million bbl to 93.3 million bbl in the reference week. However, the weekly gasoline balance was above the 91.6 million bbl reported in the same week a year earlier.

The region reported zero gasoline imports compared to volumes of 8,000 bpd reported the prior week and year-over-year.

Jet fuel inventories on the Gulf Coast rose by 900,000 bbl to 14.4 million bbl in the week ending January 23 and were 1.5 million bbl higher than the same week from last year.

Distillate fuel oil stocks in PADD 3 rose by 100,000 bbl to 50.8 million bbl on a weekly basis, an increase of 9.7 million bbl year-over-year, EIA data showed.

As a net exporter of distillates and jet fuel, PADD 3 does not report imports of those products.

Refining utilization in PADD 3 was at 90.5%, below the prior week’s 95.1%, driven by unplanned refinery shutdowns linked to a winter storm in the region.

Due to limited gasoline supplies seen in PADD 3 in the last two weeks, the average retail prices for gasoline in the Gulf Coast rose by 5.8cts to $2.455 per gallon last week, but still remained the most competitive value nationwide as the U.S. average was $2.853 per gallon in the same period, EIA data released Tuesday (1/27) showed. 

PADD 3 diesel retail prices climbed for the second consecutive week by 7.7cts to average $3.325 per gallon last week and were below the nationwide average of $3.624 per gallon.

Analysis: EIA Sees Exports Jump as Brent-WTI Spread Widens

Crude oil exports from the United States soared 900,000 bpd to a six-week high 4.59 million bpd in the week ending January 23, Energy Information Administration data revealed Wednesday (1/28).

U.S. crude exports have been steadily rising in conjunction with WTI’s growing discount to Brent and other benchmarks. Over the past four weeks, they averaged 3.69 million bpd, nearly 10% higher than in the comparable period last year. On the daily cumulative average, crude exports were up almost 5% year-on-year.

Exports rose during most of the second half of 2025, taking a brief respite in November. During the same time, the Brent-WTI spread widened from its trough of $1.3 bbl in early July to $4.65 bbl by the end of September. The spread held steady in the fourth quarter, before WTI and Brent prices started to once again diverge at a faster pace from the beginning of the year.

This growth in the differential coincided with the latest rise in exports. U.S. crude exports used to strongly correlate with the Brent-WTI spread and react to a change in the spread with a four- to six-week delay. While the inclusion of WTI in the Brent pricing basket has somewhat weakened that correlation, differences in crude oil spot prices can, depending on tanker economics, still lead to measurable surges in exports – with a shortened delay compared to years past.

Together with a more than 800,000 bpd decline in weekly imports, the 1.7 million bpd flip in net imports more than countered the near 400,000-bpd drop in domestic demand last week, leading to a 2.3 million bpd draw to commercial inventories which took some market observers by surprise. Crude oil stocks tend to expand during this time of year as refiners cut back and enter maintenance season. While this is still likely to happen, they might experience an outsized pull from international demand in the weeks to come.

EIA: Crude Stocks Down, Snapping 2-Wk Build; Products Rise

U.S. commercial crude oil stocks fell last week, snapping two consecutive weeks of builds, while gasoline and distillate stockpiles continued their rise, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported Wednesday (1/28).

Commercial crude stocks dropped by 2.3 million bbl to 423.8 million during the week ended January 23, after back-to-back weekly builds of 3.6 million and 3.3 million bbl, the EIA said in its Weekly Petroleum Status Report.

With the decline, U.S. crude inventories stood at 8.6 million bbl, or 2.1%, higher than levels seen a year earlier, the report showed.

Crude stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma delivery point for NYMEX West Texas Intermediate futures, fell by 300,000 bbl to 24.8 million after the prior week’s climb of 1.6 million.

Total motor gasoline inventories increased by 200,000 bbl to 257.2 million during the reference week, adding to the prior surplus of 6 million. It marked the 12th straight week of gasoline stock builds in a season where consumption is typically lower versus supply amid winter conditions that reduce driving.

Blending components dipped by 100,000 bbl to 240.6 million, versus the prior week’s surge of 5.4 million bbl, while conventional gasoline stocks rose by 300,000 bbl to 16.6 million.

Distillate fuel oil inventories climbed by 300,000 bbl to 132.9 million, after the previous week’s increase of 3.3 million.

Refinery utilization slipped to 90.9% of operable capacity, from a prior 93.3%. Crude oil inputs into refineries averaged 16.2 million bpd, versus the previous week’s 16.6 million.

Crude oil exports averaged 4.59 million bpd, up by 900,000 bpd from the previous week, while crude imports fell by 805,000 bpd to 5.642 million bpd.

Total products supplied over the last four weeks averaged 20.271 million bpd, down by 0.1% from the same period a year earlier. Gasoline demand last week averaged 8.259 million bpd, lower by 0.4% from a year earlier, while distillate demand averaged 3.864 million bpd, down by 5% from the same period last year.

EIA: U.S. Ethanol Output Flat, Stocks Down 1.3% on Year

The Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday (1/28) that overall ethanol production in the United States averaged 1.114 million bpd in the week ending January 23, down 5,000 bpd week-on-week and 99,000 bpd, or 9.8% higher than in the same week last year. Four-week average output at 1.132 million bpd was 54,000 bpd above the same four weeks last year.

Midwest ethanol production averaged 1.055 million bpd, down 11,000 bpd week-on-week and 91,000 bpd, or 9.4% higher than in the same week last year. Four-week average output at 1.075 million bpd was 52,000 bpd above the same four weeks last year.

Ethanol blending activity in the U.S. averaged 883,000 bpd, up 31,000 bpd week-on-week and 51,000 bpd, or 6.1% higher than in the same week last year. Four-week average blending demand at 837,000 bpd was 20,000 bpd above the same four weeks last year.

Blender inputs at the East Coast were up 13,000 bpd on the week while inputs in the Midwest were up 16,000 bpd, down 2,000 bpd on the Gulf Coast and up 3,000 bpd on the West Coast.

Domestic ethanol inventories ended the week at 25.4 million bbl, down 339,000 bbl week-on-week and 322,000 bbl, or 1.3% lower than in the same week last year.

East Coast PADD 1 inventories ended the week at 7.176 million bbl, down 137,000 bbl week-on-week and 731,000 bbl, or 9.2% lower than in the same week last year.

Midwest PADD 2 inventories ended the week at 10.859 million bbl, up 239,000 bbl week-on-week and 294,000 bbl, or 2.8% higher than in the same week last year.

Gulf Coast PADD 3 inventories ended the week at 4.584 million bbl, down 380,000 bbl week-on-week and 259,000 bbl, or 6% higher than in the same week last year.

West Coast PADD 5 inventories ended the week at 2.401 million bbl, down 54,000 bbl week-on-week and 153,000 bbl, or 6% lower than in the same week last year.

EIA: Propane/Propylene Stocks See 4th Straight Weekly Drop

The Energy Information Administration reported on Wednesday (1/28) total domestic propane/propylene stocks of 88.952 million bbl in the week ending January 23, down 4.688 million bbl week-on-week and 27.523 million bbl, or 44.8% higher than in the same week last year.

Data show propane/propylene exports last week averaged 2.095 million bpd, up 295,000 bpd week-on-week and 42,000 bpd, or 2%, lower than in the same week last year.

Implied demand for propane/propylene in the United States averaged 1.5 million bpd, down 16,000 bpd week-on-week and 204,000 bpd, or 15.7% higher than in the same week last year.

EIA reports domestic propane/propylene production averaged 2.77 million bpd, down 89,000 bpd week-on-week and 178,000 bpd, or 6.9% higher than in the same week last year.

East Coast PADD 1 inventories ended the week at 5.529 million bbl, down 532,000 bbl week-on-week and 1.432 million bbl, or 35% higher than in the same week last year.

Midwest PADD 2 inventories ended the week at 19.51 million bbl, down 1.427 million bbl week-on-week and 4.542 million bbl, or 30.3% higher than in the same week last year.

Gulf Coast PADD 3 inventories ended the week at 59.633 million bbl, down 2.38 million bbl week-on-week and 20.965 million bbl, or 54.2% higher than in the same week last year.

Combined inventories in the Rockies and the West Coast, PADD 4 and 5, ended the week at 4.28 million bbl, down 349,000 bbl week-on-week and 584,000 bbl, or 15.8% higher than in the same week last year.

Coal Provided 21% of U.S. Power in Storm Fern Week, Up 24%

Coal-fired electricity generation in the U.S. surged during the week of Winter Storm Fern as grid operators looked at fuel sources beyond natural gas to maintain supply, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said Wednesday (1/28).

Coal’s share of power generation across the 48 Lower U.S. states rose to 21% in the week ended Jan. 25, up from the prior week’s 17%, as coal-fired generation increased 31% week-on-week.

Power generation from natural gas surged 14% in the week of the snowstorm to meet the massive spike in heating requirements as frigid temperatures gripped the Northeast to Mid-Atlantic, accounting for 38% of electricity generation.

Electricity generation from renewable fuel sources including solar, wind, and hydropower declined during the profiled week, while nuclear power generation was almost unchanged at a share of 18%, the EIA said.

The weekly spike in coal demand contrasts with the trend from earlier in the month, when milder weather led to lower coal-fired generation compared with usage during the same period of 2025.

The shifting pattern showed grid operators could depend on coal as a generation source during extreme weather events, the EIA added.