The United States is not currently considering a ban or restrictions on oil products exports, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Friday. With WTI falling below $80 per barrel earlier on Friday morning, the pressure for such moves is cooling, even as product inventories in the United States continue to fall. Total motor gasoline inventories in the United States fell another 1.6 million barrels during the week ending September 16, and now sit 5% below the five-year average this time of year. Distillate inventories—which include diesel fuel—rose during the week, but are 18% below the five-year average. Gasoline prices have trended down in recent months, although the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rose on Friday to $3.689, according to AAA, up from $3.684 on Thursday. Last month, the Energy Secretary warned U.S. refiners that if they failed to build inventories of crude oil products, the […]

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