In the week ending April 17, the American Petroleum Institute estimated that U.S. crude inventories fell by 4.4 million barrels, a sharp reversal from the 6.10 million‑barrel build recorded the week before. The draw exceeded analysts' expectation of a 1 million‑barrel decline, underscoring tightening supply that has helped lift benchmark prices. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve continued its draw, releasing 4.2 million barrels and bringing the total to 405 million barrels, 320.5 million barrels shy of full capacity. The reserve's activity has added pressure on market prices and contributed to the recent rally in Brent crude. U.S. crude production remained steady at 13.596 million barrels per day for the week to April 10, 134,000 barrels per day higher than the same period last year, according to the latest Energy Information Administration data. The combination of steady output and falling inventories has reinforced the upward trend in benchmark prices. Benchmark prices reflected the inventory dynamics: at 4:47 p.m. ET, Brent crude traded at $99.06, up 3.75% from the previous day and roughly $4 higher than a week earlier, while WTI was at $90.16, up 3.13% from the day before and about $1.80 lower than a week earlier. Gasoline and distillate inventories also fell, with gasoline down 5.165 million barrels and distillate down 4.59 million barrels, both following prior week gains. The Cushing hub inventory rose 678,000 barrels after a 1.7 million‑barrel decline the week before, indicating a shift in regional storage dynamics.