Ethanol output jumped to the highest level in a month last week, while inventories declined modestly, according to data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Production of the biofuel rose to an average of 1.071 million barrels in the seven days that ended Oct. 3, the U.S. government agency said in a report yesterday.
On its website, the agency said it will continue normal publication of reports and data collection until further notice. That is in contrast to USDA reports that have been put on hold or canceled until the government shutdown ends. In the Midwest, by far the biggest producer of ethanol, production averaged 1.025 million barrels a day, up from 940,000 the previous week, the EIA said.
That was the lone gainer, as all other regions saw week-to-week declines. Gulf Coast output was down to 22,000 barrels from 26,000 a day a week earlier and West Coast production dropped to 9,000 barrels from 10,000 the week prior, the agency reported.
