Total US petroleum deliveries, a measure of demand, increased 0.8% from August 2014 to average 19.6 million b/d last month, recording the highest August deliveries in 5 years, according to the American Petroleum Institute’s monthly statistics for August. “US crude oil and gasoline production soared to record highs in August as the industry finds innovative ways to increase production even as crude prices have fallen,” said API Director of Statistics Hazem Arafa. According to API, motor gasoline demand rose 1.1% from August 2014 to average just above 9.4 million b/d, the highest deliveries for the month since 2007. For year to date, gasoline deliveries rose 2.6% compared with year to date of 2014. Demand for distillate in August fell 3% from the prior year. For year to date, distillate deliveries fell 0.2% compared with year to date 2014, to just above 4 million b/d. US crude oil production averaged 9.3 million b/d in August, up 5.4% from August 2014. Compared with year to date 2014, domestic crude oil production rose 10.6%.