Today’s build in crude inventories is in line with seasonal trends and adds to the 4.1 million barrels that the EIA estimated for the week prior.

Commercial crude oil stocks excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve rose by 4.6 million barrels to 432.5 million barrels in the week ended Feb. 14 and were about 3% below the five-year average for the time of year, the EIA said. Analysts surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had forecast crude stockpiles to be up by 2.4 million barrels.

Commercial crude stockpiles in the US jumped more than projected last week even as distillate fuel and propane inventories fell, government data showed Thursday. Inventories of crude, excluding the strategic petroleum reserve,

Crude oil futures edged higher Thursday as near-term supply concerns were partly offset by a larger than expected rise in U.S. crude stockpiles despite a drop in net imports. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said domestic inventories rose 4.

Commercial crude stockpiles are expected to have risen by 2.4 million barrels to 430.3 million barrels in the week ended Feb. 14, according to the average estimate of 10 analysts and traders. Eight expect an increase and two predict a decline. Expectations range from a build of 6.6 million barrels to a drop of 1.4 million barrels.