US crude inventories slump 7.3 mn barrel in week to Feb 12, exports rise

Crude oil inventories in the US slumped by 7.3 mln barrels to 461.8 mln bbl in the week ended Feb 12, data from the countr y's Energy Information Administration showed. Market participants had expected the stockpile to decline by 2.0 mln bbl, according to a poll by Dow Jones. "US crude oil inventories are at the five-year average for this time of year," the Energy Information Administration said in its report.