U.S. ethanol use rising
2006-04-19 10:01 (New York)
WASHINGTON, April 19 (UPI) -- U.S. refiners have boosted their use of ethanol
as a gasoline blend stock in preparation for a federal renewable fuels mandate.
The American Petroleum Institute also said Wednesday that by the first week of
April, some 40 percent of all gasoline produced in the United States was
blended with ethanol, up from 33 percent at the same time last year.
The API also noted that high fuel prices have led to decreased demand for
gasoline and other refined oil products.
Gasoline deliveries, a proxy for demand, averaged 8.946 million barrels per
day, down 0.6 percent from March 2005 levels. Distillate deliveries averaged
nearly 6 percent below year-ago levels while jet fuel deliveries were down 1.2
percent.
