UPDATE 1-U.S. crude oil stocks up on imports - EIA

(Adds table, details, analysts' comments)

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

Stocks Change Change Stocks Change Change

11/20/09 from from 11/20/09 from from

pvs wk yr-ago pvs wk yr-ago
Crude 336.4 3.3 16.8 337.8 1.0 19.5
Distillate 166.9 -2.4 38.2 166.9 -0.5 34.1
Gasoline 212.2 1.7 11.1 210.1 1.0 9.6
Heating oil 51.0 -0.9 8.4 51.6 -0.1 10.2
RFG gasoline 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.0 -0.3
Kerosene 42.5 -0.5 4.2 42.4 -1.4 4.3
Crude runs (bpd) 14.3 0.4 -0.6 14.0 0.2 -0.9
Refinery runs

(percent) 82.2 2.6 -4.1 80.3 0.9 -5.9
Product supplied

(4-week average)-----------------------18.7 0.1 -0.5

By Haitham Haddadin

NEW YORK, Nov 25 (Reuters) - U.S. crude oil stockpiles
rose last week slightly less than expected as imports gained,
the Energy Information Administration said in weekly oil data
issued on Wednesday.

The nation's commercial crude oil stocks were up by 1
million barrels to a total of 337.8 million barrels in the week
ended Nov. 20, EIA said, while analysts had forecast a build of
1.2 million barrels.

The stocks build follows a separate report Tuesday from the
American Petroleum Institute (API) trade group, which said the
nation's crude oil stocks gained 3.3 million barrels last week
as imports rose. [ID:nN24317820]

According to EIA, crude oil imports added 371,000 barrels
per day (bpd) last week. Analysts said that U.S. crude oil
inventories likely rose in the week as imports and Gulf of
Mexico output rebounded from the disruptions caused by Tropical
Storm Ida.

"The rebound in imports is probably delayed arrival of
imports that had been interrupted by the hurricane. So you have
to kind of average those two to get the right result," said
Antoine Halff, first vice president and deputy head of research
at Newedge Group in New York.

"Fundamentals remain soft. Last week's were exceptionally
soft because you had hurricane effects. There's no reason to
open the champagne here."

Gasoline stocks increased by 1 million barrels last week to
210.1 million barrels, EIA added, topping the average analyst
expectations that they had risen by 300,000 barrels.

Stockpiles of middle distillates, which include heating oil
and diesel, were off by 500,000 barrels to a total of 166.9
million barrels, the report noted, versus analyst expectations
of a small 100,000 barrel fall.

Heating oil inventories fell 100,000 barrels to 51.6
million.

U.S. total oil product demand over past four weeks was
18.70 million bpd, down 2.9 percent from a year ago, EIA
added.

Refinery utilization was up by 0.9 percentage point to 80.3
percent of capacity, versus analyst forecasts that it would be
up by 0.3 percentage point.

According to Tuesday's API report, U.S. gasoline stocks
posted a gain of 1.7 million barrels last week while stockpiles
of middle distillate fell by 2.4 million barrels. Refinery
utilization jumped by 2.6 percentage point to 82.2 percent of
capacity last week, API added. [API/S]

On the NYMEX, crude oil futures were in the red but off
earlier lows after the report.

"There will be thin trade going into the holiday and I
think we will see a little more action as we start the month of
December," said Mike Zarembski, senior commodities analyst for
optionsXpress in Chicago, adding the EIAs for crude were not as
bearish as Tuesday's APIs but "slightly lackluster".

U.S. energy futures markets close Thursday for Thanksgiving
Day holiday.
(Reporting by Haitham Haddadin; additional reporting by Janet
McGurty, Bruce Nichols and Ed McAllister; Editing by Marguerita
Choy)
((haitham.haddadin@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging:
haitham.haddadin.reuters.com@reuters.net; 646 223 6045))