API's Weekly Statistical Bulletin

Where traders around the world get their data

Since 1929, API’s Weekly Statistical Bulletin (WSB) has reported total U.S. and regional crude inventories and data related to refinery operations, as well as the production, imports, and inventories of the four other major petroleum products: motor gasoline, kerosene jet fuel, distillate fuel oil, and residual fuel oil. These products represent more than 90 percent of total refinery production. The WSB also reports on the production, imports, and inventories of several subcategories of these products as well as imports and inventories of unfinished oils, crude oil imports and production, and refinery input and capacity data.

Published every Tuesday afternoon, the WSB brings its subscribers accurate and reliable petroleum data 18 hours before the rest of the world gets the data from EIA.

Gaining Access to the WSB

Contact one of the two certified distributors below to purchase access to the WSB

Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk)

New customers interested in subscribing to the reports, fill out the contact information page here.
Existing Refinitiv customers, please contact your Refinitiv account representative or call 1-800-738-8377.

Intercontinental Exchange (ICE)

Contact ICE at sales-tradingsolutions@theice.com or 212-323-6008.

API provides the timeliest reports of this data available anywhere. Except as otherwise noted in the schedules below, the weekly reports are scheduled for release every Tuesday afternoon at approximately 4:30 pm Eastern. If Monday is a Federal holiday, the reports are scheduled for release on Wednesday afternoon.

For additional information please contact us by e-mail at apiwsb@api.org if you would like more information about API's Weekly Statistical Bulletin (WSB).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is API’s Weekly Statistical Bulletin (WSB)?

API’s WSB is a weekly survey report on petroleum data (crude and products). It is a survey of U.S. refiners, bulk storage and blending terminals, pipelines, and importers. This includes data related to refinery operations, along with production; imports; and inventories of the five major petroleum products: crude, motor gasoline, kerosene jet fuel, distillate fuel oil, and residual fuel oil.

When is WSB published?

API’s WSB is published every Tuesday afternoon at around 4.30pm (or on Wednesday at 4.30pm if Monday is a Federal Holiday). Additionally, WSB may be published on a different day during special holidays (e.g., Christmas or New Year). For the most up-to-date WSB schedule, please go to API.org

Do API and Energy Information Administration (EIA) publish estimates or census data?

Neither API nor EIA collect 100% of the data on its weekly surveys. Both API and EIA are on record stating that their reported weekly data cover roughly 90% of the industry and they publish only estimates every week.

Where does the API get its WSB data (data collection)?

API collects data from oil and gas companies across the United States. Survey participants of WSB are both API members and non-members. API collects an exact copy of the data submitted to EIA. To lessen the reporting burden to respondents, API uses the same EIA weekly survey forms and also offers respondents the same reporting method as EIA. Consequently, API follows EIA’s collection schedule and deadline.

How does API identify its survey respondents (sample design)?

API’s WSB – similar to the EIA’s Weekly Petroleum Status Report (WPSR) – is an estimate calculated from survey responses. The sampling procedure used for the weekly surveys is the cut-off method; which is the same procedure used by EIA. API targets the largest to the smallest companies on the basis of their refinery and storage capacity. API maintains a high response rate of about 90% depending on the product and location.

Given that API’s survey is voluntary, are API estimates reliable and accurate?

Though companies voluntarily send API a copy of the data they send to EIA, that fact does not impact the reliability or accuracy of the information received. Both API and EIA are on record stating that their reported weekly data cover roughly 90% of the industry. API and EIA need only estimate the remaining 10%.

Why does API’s data sometime differ from EIA’s data?

Both API and EIA sample and survey about 90% of the industry and estimate the remaining 10%. Their sample coverage and estimation process may be different which contributes to the differences in their weekly published data. However, since API and EIA need only estimate 10%, differences in their weekly estimates can be largely attributed to statistical noise.

How does API calculate the remaining 10% of the industry (non-sample estimation)?

Once the data quality is assured, the remaining task for API is to use the 90% response rate data to estimate the data for the remaining 10% of the industry. API uses a combination of trend, seasonal, cyclical, and imputation methods to reach an estimate for the industry.

Are API’s WSB estimates accurate?

Yes, during first half of 2024, when looking at recent data for Crude, Gasoline, and Distillate stocks, API and EIA have been within 1% of each other about 100% of the time. API urges analysts and reporters to verify the WSB data accuracy by comparing it to the EIA definitive numbers in their Petroleum Supply Monthly.

Who uses the WSB report?

WSB report is widely used by energy traders and oil companies.

Where can I purchase the WSB?

API makes its reports available solely via subscription purchase through our authorized redistributors: Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk) and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE).

LSEG (Formerly Refinitiv)

Existing Refinitiv customers, please contact your Refinitiv account representative or its help desk at 1-800-738-8377.
New customers interested in subscribing to the reports, please visit the Commodities area of Refinitiv's (formerly Thomson Reuters Financial & Risk) website, and click the "Contact Sales" button.