Energy
DOGE Cuts, Coding Issues Delayed a Key US Oil Report This Week
An oil refinery and petrochemical plant in Houston, Texas.
Photographer: Mark Felix/BloombergA closely watched US oil report was delayed by several hours this week in the latest sign that federal staffing cuts are impacting data that’s crucial to markets.
The report was slated to be published at 10:30 a.m. Washington time on Monday, with data for the week ended Dec. 19. But the US Energy Information Administration then made a surprise announcement Monday morning saying that the data would be delayed. At first, the agency issued no new timeline for the release, adding to confusion for traders. Hours later, the EIA said it would publish the report at 5 p.m., after markets settled.