NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. crude stocks fell surprisingly last week even as refineries cut output, as imports dropped, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.

Crude inventories fell by 4 million barrels in the week to May 3, compared with analysts’ expectations for an increase of 1.2 million barrels.

Net U.S. crude imports fell last week by 432,000 barrels per day to 6.7 million bpd.

Crude stocks at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub rose by 821,000 barrels, EIA said.

Refinery crude runs fell by 41,000 barrels per day, EIA data showed. Refinery utilization rates fell by 0.3 percentage points.

Gasoline stocks fell by 596,000 barrels, compared with analysts’ expectations in a Reuters poll for a 434,000 barrels drop.

Distillate stockpiles, which include diesel and heating oil, fell by 159,000 barrels, versus expectations for a 1.1 million barrels drop, the EIA data showed.

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