US Oil Inventories Fall; Increase Had Been Expected

Crude inventories fell 2.4 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute said late Tuesday while analysts surveyed by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos., had forecast an increase of 2.2 million barrels. Inventories of gasoline rose while distillates fell, the API said.

The US Energy Information Agency will issue it's own report later today.