(NAFB) – Ethanol output jumped to its highest level in more than three months while inventories dropped again.

The Energy Information Administration report says production rose to 975,000 barrels a day, on average, in the week ending on April 2. That production level rose from 965,000 barrels a day the week before and was the highest output level since the week that ended on December 18.

The Midwest, by far the highest producing region in the U.S., saw production rise to an average of 929,000 barrels a day. Government data showed that was up from 917,000 barrels a day the previous week and was the largest output since mid-December of last year. East Coast production was unchanged at 12,000 barrels a day, and both the Rocky Mountain and West Coast output remained steady at 9,000 barrels a day. The Gulf Coast region was the only area that dropped production, falling to 16,000 barrels a day from 18,000 the previous week.

Ethanol inventories dropped to their lowest level in four months. Biofuel stockpiles fell to 20.642 million barrels in the seven days ending on April 2, the lowest level since November 13.