U.S. refinery utilization edged lower in the latest weekly data, with the indicator easing to -0.1% for the week ended 21 October 2026, compared with a 0.8% increase in the prior period. The figures, based on the EIA’s Weekly Refinery Utilization Rates, signal a marginal week-on-week cooling in refinery activity after a modest rise the previous week.
The “Actual” reading of -0.1% reflects the change in utilization from the current week to the previous one, while the earlier 0.8% “Previous” figure captured the increase seen a week earlier versus its prior week. Although the shift represents only a slight downtick, it suggests refineries have paused their recent upward momentum in throughput on a week-over-week basis.
Market participants watching refined product supply, seasonal maintenance patterns, and downstream demand will be monitoring upcoming EIA releases closely to see whether this week’s decline proves a temporary adjustment or the start of a broader softening in U.S. refinery run rates.
