US refinery utilization ·EIA week ending August 21, 2026
US refineries are running at 97.4% of operable capacity as of August 21, 2026, up 0.2 points week over week.
US refinery utilization rate
September 3, 2021 to August 21, 2026
Weekly percent utilization of US refinery operable capacity. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report.
We watch US refinery runs weekly.
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About this series
The share of US refinery operable capacity that is actually running, reported weekly by the U.S. EIA. It drives how much gasoline and distillate refineries make and how much crude they pull from storage.
Today's reading sits near the high end of the EIA record going back to 1990. High utilization means refineries are running hard, pulling crude from storage and adding finished product.
Weekly percent utilization of US refinery operable capacity. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Weekly Petroleum Status Report. Updated weekly.
US refinery utilization: common questions
- What is refinery utilization?
- Refinery utilization is the share of US refinery operable capacity that is actually running, reported weekly by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. A reading of 90 percent means refineries are processing crude at 90 percent of the maximum rate their equipment can sustain.
- Why does refinery utilization matter?
- The utilization rate drives how much gasoline, diesel, and other products refineries make each week. Higher runs pull more crude out of storage and add more finished product, so the rate helps explain crude draws and product builds in the same weekly report.
More questions
- Is there a seasonal pattern to refinery runs?
- Yes. Utilization typically climbs into the summer driving season and the winter heating season, and dips during the spring and fall maintenance windows when refineries take units offline for turnarounds. The weekly reading is read against that seasonal shape.
- How often is refinery utilization updated?
- The EIA publishes the figure every week, typically Wednesday around 10:30 a.m. Eastern for the prior Friday's week. This page reads that same EIA series and shows the latest reading with its as-of date.