UPDATE 2-U.S. crude stocks post surprise build-EIA

(Adds table)

------ API ------ ------ EIA ------

Stocks Change Change Stocks Change Change

07/11/08 from from 07/11/08 from from

pvs wk yr-ago pvs wk yr-ago
Crude 303.7 5.1 -38.1 296.9 3.0 -52.6
Distillate 126.1 5.4 1.0 125.7 3.2 -0.1
Gasoline 215.0 1.6 10.0 214.2 2.4 9.3
Heating oil 29.7 2.3 -3.3 30.0 1.3 -3.7
RFG gasoline 1.9 -0.3 -0.3 2.2 0.0 -0.1
Kerosene 39.8 0.2 -1.1 39.0 0.2 -2.5
Crude runs (bpd) 15.7 0.1 0.3 15.5 0.0 -0.2
Refinery runs

(percent) 91.4 0.7 0.5 89.5 0.3 -0.6
Products supplied

(4-week moving average)-------------20.3 -0.1 -0.6
(Click here for an interactive graph:
here )

NEW YORK, July 16 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil inventories rose unexpectedly
last week amid an uptick in imports and continued soft fuel demand in the
world's top consuming nation, according to a government report Wednesday.

U.S. crude oil futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange CLc1 fell more
than $5 after the report to around $133 a barrel, the second big daily loss,
pulling them about $14 below last week's all-time record.

"The EIA builds across the board are the most bearish inventory data we've
seen in a long while," said John Kilduff, senior vice president at MF Global in
New York.

Commercial crude inventories rose 3.0 million barrels to 296.9 million
barrels, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's weekly
report, countering expectations for a 2.1 million barrel drop.

The jump in stockpiles came as imports rose by 1.24 million barrels per day
to 10.79 million bpd.

"Imports bounced up big and psychologically, this indicates more
willingness on the part of refiners to take possession of more crude," said
Phil Flynn, analyst at Alaron Trading in Chicago. "They've been reluctant in
the recent weeks to store more crude because of the high price of crude."

Stockpiles of gasoline and distillates also rose as refiners boosted
production slightly and demand remained weak, according to the EIA.

Gasoline supplies rose 2.4 million barrels to 214.2 million and distillate
stocks rose 3.2 million barrels to 125.7 million barrels, according to the
report.

Both gasoline and distillates, which include diesel and heating oil, are in
the upper end of the average range for this time of year, said the EIA, the
statistical arm of the Energy Department.

The uptick came as refinery utilization rates rose 0.3 percentage point to
89.5 percent of capacity and demand remained well below year-ago levels.

Gasoline demand over the past four weeks averaged 9.35 million bpd, down
2.1 percent from a year ago. Overall product demand over the same period was
running at 20.30 million bpd, down 2.0 percent from a year ago, according to
the data.

U.S. drivers have been hitting the brakes on road travel due to soaring
costs at the pumps.
(Reporting by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by John Picinich)