US crude oil inventory builds likely extended in the week ended March 12 as the Gulf Coast refinery complex continued to operate at reduced capacity in the wake of the February deep freeze, an S&P Global Platts analysis showed March 15. Total commercial crude stocks likely climbed 400,000 barrels to around 498.8 million barrels last week, analysts surveyed by Platts said. The counter-seasonal build would leave stocks 6.5% above the five-year average of US Energy Information Administration data, opening the widest surplus since early January. The expected increase comes as nationwide refinery runs continue to hold well below normal following the mid-February deep freeze that took as much as 4.4 million b/d […]