U.S. crude stocks fell last week as refineries hiked output, while gasoline stocks increased and distillate inventories fell, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) said April 19.

Crude inventories fell by 1 million barrels (MMbbl) in the week to April 14, compared with analysts' expectations for a decrease of 1.5 MMbbl.

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Okla., delivery hub fell by 778,000 bbl, the EIA said.

Refinery crude runs rose by 241,000 bbl/d, EIA data showed. Refinery utilization rates rose by 1.9 percentage points.

Gasoline stocks rose by 1.5 MMbbl, compared with expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.9 MMbbl drop.

Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, fell by 2 MMbbl, vs. expectations for a 1 MMbbl drop, the EIA data showed.

U.S. crude imports rose last week by 56,000 bbl/d.