US heating oil prices remained near $4.60 per gallon, close to the record $4.73 reached on September 2 and roughly 98% above levels a year earlier. EIA (U.S. Energy Information Administration) data showed distillate fuel stocks increased by 796 thousand barrels in the week ended August 28, but inventories were still 14% below the five-year average for this point in the year. Demand is expected to rise as agricultural states enter harvest and planting seasons, while the approaching winter heating season could add pressure to supplies. Average US diesel prices have also reached a record high as Middle East tensions, disruptions to Russian refining capacity and an extended Russian diesel export ban restrict global distillate availability.