HOUSTON, Feb. 1 -- U.S. crude oil imports increased while exports decreased during the week ending Jan. 27, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.

U.S. crude oil imports averaged 7.283 million barrels per day (b/d) last week, up by 1.378 million b/d from the previous week, while crude oil exports averaged 3.492 million b/d, down by 1.215 million b/d from the previous week, according to the Weekly Petroleum Status Report.

Over the past four weeks, U.S. crude oil imports averaged about 6.599 million b/d, up by 1 percent from the same four-week period last year.

During the same period, U.S. crude oil exports averaged about 3.552 million b/d, up by 45.9 percent year on year.

The United States has been one of the world's important oil producers in past years with the help of its shale oil production growth.

  - Xinhua