Gasoline production drops in California

SACRAMENTO
May 28, 2008 4:13pm

California’s refineries made 6,332,000 barrels of gasoline meeting the clean-burning standards of the California Air Resources Board during the week ended May 23, the California Energy Commission reported Wednesday afternoon.

The amount was 10.9 percent less than in the previous week and 10.1 percent less than was made in the comparable week a year earlier.

But production of diesel fuel was up as retail prices set new records of over $5 per gallon.

Refiners said they made 2,054,000 barrels of “CARB” diesel, 11.7 percent more than the week before but 11.3 percent less than in the same week in 2007.

According to data submitted to the state by the oil companies, refineries reported 5,534,000 barrels of CARB gasoline in inventory as of May 23, which was 1.6 percent less than a week earlier but 9.1 percent more than a year earlier.

Stocks of low-sulfur “CARB” diesel were up by 14.7 percent from the previous week to 2,683,000 barrels as of May 23, according to the energy commission. That amount was 7.8 percent less than what was in inventory a year earlier.