Refineries Running at 96% Capacity, Gasoline and Diesel Stocks Still Below Five-Year Norms

U.S. refineries ran at 96.1% capacity for the week ending July 17, 2026, processing 17.1 million barrels per day, per EIA data. Yet gasoline inventories stayed 7% below the five-year average and distillates 10% below — even at peak summer driving demand. Refiners are pushing hard; the fuels consumers use most remain structurally tight.