US crude oil inventories likely declined during the week ended Jan. 15 as exports remained steady, an S&P Global Platts analysis showed Jan. 19. Total commercial crude oil stockpiles are expected to have moved 2.5 million barrels lower last week to around 479.7 million barrels, analysts surveyed by Platts said. The expected draw would mark the sixth consecutive week of falling crude stocks and leave inventories less than 8% above the five-year average of US Energy Information Administration data, the narrowest surplus since late November. US crude exports averaged 3.03 million b/d last week, data from cFlow, Platts trade-flow software, showed, up slightly from an EIA-reported 3.01 million b/d […]