Oil prices spiked, then pared gains after the U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday reported a much bigger-than-expected decline in weekly crude supplies.
Inventories were down 2.2 million barrels for the week ended May 8. Analysts polled by Platts forecast a crude-stock fall of 250,000 barrels.
Gasoline supplies fell 1.1 million barrels, while distillate stockpiles also declined by 2.5 million barrels last week, according to the EIA.
June crude traded at $61.16 U.S. a barrel, up 41 cents, or 0.7%, on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Prices spiked to as high as $61.78 U.S. immediately after the report. They were trading around $61.41 U.S. before the data.
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