Oil futures ease following EIA data

The U.S. Energy Information Administration on Wednesday reported that U.S. crude oil supplies rose by 300,000 barrels for the week ended June 14, to 394.1 million barrels.

A Platts survey of analysts forecast a one-million-barrel decline. Gasoline supplies increased by 200,000 barrels, while distillate stockpiles fell by 500,000 barrels, according to the EIA.

Analysts were looking for a rise of 1.2 million barrels in gasoline inventories and an increase of 300,000 barrels in distillate supplies.

Following the latest data, July crude traded at $98.41 U.S. a barrel, down three cents. It was trading around $98.50 U.S. shortly before the report.

The American Petroleum Institute late Tuesday had reported a 4.3-million-barrel drop in crude stockpiles.

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