U.S. refinery utilization weakened for a second consecutive week, with the latest EIA figures showing a sharper week-on-week decline. According to data updated on 23 September 2026, utilization fell by 2.8% compared with the previous week, following a 1.0% week-on-week drop in the prior reading.
The figures indicate that the pace of the pullback in refinery activity has accelerated. The “actual” reading reflects the change for the current week versus the previous week, while the “previous” figure captures the change observed in the prior week relative to the week before that. Market participants will be watching subsequent EIA reports closely to assess whether this deeper week-on-week contraction in utilization marks the start of a more prolonged slowdown in U.S. refining activity or a short-term adjustment.
