Crude oil stocks, not including the SPR, stood at 433.7 million barrels on May 29, the EIA's latest weekly petroleum status report showed. Weekly stock data and strategic petroleum reserve levels provide critical signals regarding domestic demand strength and refinery efficiency. A surprise drawdown or build in inventories often triggers immediate price recalibration across both Brent and WTI benchmarks. Furthermore, the rate of refinery utilization and the build-up of refined products like gasoline and distillates are providing a more granular view of the actual end-user consumption patterns across major industrial hubs.