U.S. refinery utilization rates moved higher in the latest weekly reading, with the indicator rising 1.0% week-over-week, according to data updated on 19 August 2026 by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). This follows a 0.3% week-over-week decline in the previous period.
The turnaround from a negative -0.3% change to a positive 1.0% suggests a pickup in refinery activity compared with the prior week. The EIA’s weekly utilization figure reflects how intensively U.S. refineries are operating relative to their capacity, and the reported change measures the shift from one week to the next. In this case, the current “Actual” value captures the move in the latest week versus the prior week, while the “Previous” figure describes how utilization changed in the week before that, relative to its own prior week.
The week-over-week increase may signal improving operational conditions or stronger product demand after a softer patch, though the data provided only cover the percentage change itself and not the drivers behind it. Traders and analysts often watch this indicator closely for clues on refinery throughput trends and potential implications for fuel supply.
