2026.03.1814:30:00UTC+00U.S. Refinery Crude Runs Slow Sharply as Weekly Throughput Growth Cools

U.S. refinery crude runs increased by just 0.063 million barrels in the latest reported week, a sharp deceleration from the prior week’s 0.328 million barrel gain, according to data updated on 18 March 2026 by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). The figures are presented on a week-over-week basis, comparing the change in refinery runs for the current week against the previous one.

The data show that while refinery activity continued to edge higher, the pace of growth in crude throughput has slowed significantly. The “actual” reading of 0.063 million barrels reflects the incremental change in the current week, while the “previous” figure of 0.328 million barrels captures the change seen in the week before. This week-over-week loss of momentum in refinery runs may signal a more cautious operating stance by refiners following the recent stronger ramp-up in utilization.