US crude, gasoline stocks in surprise draws -API

NEW YORK, Oct 14 (Reuters) - U.S. inventories of crude oil
fell last week instead of rising as expected, as imports
decreased while gasoline stockpiles also posted an unseasonal
draw, a weekly industry inventory report showed on Wednesday.

The American Petroleum Institute (API) said crude oil
stocks in the United States fell 172,000 barrels in the week to
Oct. 9. On average, crude stocks were forecast to have risen
700,000 barrels, a Reuters survey earlier this week showed.

Crude oil imports were off 584,000 barrels per day to 9.01
million bpd, API added.

Meanwhile, gasoline stocks fell 2.7 million barrels last
week, API said. They were forecast to have risen 800,000
barrels, on average, amid tepid demand, analysts said.

Stocks of distillate -- fuels like diesel and heating oil
-- rose 219,000 barrels last week, said the trade group report
which came out a day later than usual due to Monday's federal
Columbus Day holiday.

Analysts polled by Reuters projected the distillate stocks
would be up slightly, by an average of 100,000 barrels.

Crude runs were off by 511,000 bpd last week, API added.
(Reporting by Haitham Haddadin; New York Energy Desk; Editing
by David Gregorio)