May Ethanol Production Hits New High

Ethanol production hit a new high in May with over 871 million gallons produced. Imports and consumption numbers were also higher. Daily production volume reached 669,000 barrels per day.

Ethanol Production Numbers in Gallons
	Production	Imports	Stocks	Consumption
May 2009	871,584,000	21,168,000	587,958,000	928,284,000
April 2009	807,240,000	7,014,000	623,490,000	848,148,000
March 2009	833,154,000	3,276,000	657,384,000	837,942,000
February 2009	761,040,000	2,142,000	658,896,000	700,098,000
January 2009	820,890,000	15,582,000	595,812,000	837,858,000
December 2008	854,364,000	19,446,000	597,198,000	916,146,000
November 2008	842,268,000	11,676,000	639,534,000	852,474,000
October 2008	842,016,000	25,830,000	638,064,000	901,530,000
September 2008	806,274,000	103,572,000	671,748,000	863,142,000
August 2008	842,478,000	81,102,000	625,044,000	852,348,000
July 2008	799,764,000	57,120,000	553,812,000	819,840,000
June 2008	736,848,000	65,982,000	516,768,000	791,910,000
May 2008	778,806,000	36,372,000	505,848,000	793,968,000

Source: - Energy Information Administration

Valero says all 7 ethanol plants at capacity

Top U.S. oil refiner Valero Energy Corp said all seven of the ethanol plants it bought in March from a bankrupt producer were now running at capacity and making money.

"Ethanol is kind of a bright spot for us right now. They are generating cash flow," Valero spokesman Bill Day said of the plants, which have the combined capacity of about 780 million gallons a year, or about 7.5 percent of the total U.S. operating capacity to make the fuel.

Valero began production at the 110-million-gallon-per-year ethanol plant in Welcome, Minnesota, during the first week of July, Day said by telephone.

The company bought the plants from VeraSun Energy, which filed for bankruptcy protection after locking in pricey contracts for corn, the main input cost for making ethanol.

Source : Reuters India