EIA: U.S. crude, fuel stocks fall in most recent week

U.S. crude and fuels stocks posted surprising declines in the most recent week as fuel demand rose and refiners cut runs, the Energy Information Administration said.

Crude inventories fell by 215,000 barrels in the week to Sept. 23 to 430.6 million barrels, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 443,000-barrel rise.

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 692,000 barrels in the last week, EIA said.

Refining product supplied is the market's best proxy for demand; over the last four weeks, product supplied is down 3.1% from the year-ago period, representing a cooling in U.S. consumption.