Updates prices

By Nicole Jao and Liz Hampton

NEW YORK, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. crude inventories rose for the first time since mid-April last week as exports soften, while gasoline and distillate inventories fell ahead of the Independence Day weekend, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday.

Crude inventories rose by 3 million barrels to 411.4 million barrels in the week ending July 3, the EIA said, after falling for 10 straight weeks. Analysts had expected a 2.4 million-barrel draw in crude stocks, a Reuters poll showed.

Crude stocks at the flagship Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub USOICC=ECI fell by 52,000 barrels in the week, the EIA said.

"A slower pace of crude exports and another slug of SPR barrels into commercial inventories encouraged a crude inventory build after 10 consecutive draws," Matt Smith, director of commodity research said in a note. "Lower exports are no surprise; it is typical to see US crude exports lowest in the first week of the month."

U.S. crude oil exports declined by 746,000 barrels to 3.3 million barrels per day during the week, while net crude imports USOICI=ECI rose by 1.1 million barrels per day.

Oil futures held gains after the surprise build in crude stocks, with Brent crude futures LCOc1 at around $80.16 a barrel, up $6 or 8.09%, at 11:44 a.m. ET (1544 GMT) and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 at $75.73 a barrel, up $5.29 or 7.51%.

Refinery crude runs USOICR=ECI fell by 172,000 barrels per day last week, the EIA said.

Refinery utilization rates USOIRU=ECI fell by 0.8 percentage points in the week.

U.S. gasoline stocks USOILG=ECI fell by 1.9 million barrels in the week to 212.1 million barrels, the EIA said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.6 million-barrel draw.​

"Implied demand ahead of the 4th of July holiday has led to product draws, with a very strong pop in distillate implied demand driving a chunky draw," Smith said.

U.S. gasoline futures RBc1 extended gains and were up 6.58% after the data showed a slightly larger-than-expected draw in U.S. gasoline stocks. The U.S. national gasoline price at the pump was around $3.80 a gallon on Wednesday, according to the AAA.

Distillate stockpiles USOILD=ECI, which include diesel and heating oil, fell by 5 million barrels in the week to 103.6 million barrels, versus expectations for a 0.6 million-barrel rise, the EIA data showed.

U.S. diesel futures HOc1 also extended gains and were up around 13.4% after the data showed the surprise draw in distillate stocks. The gains were partly driven by a diesel export ban introduced by Russia, a major exporter of the fuel, on Wednesday.

"With higher refining margins and refined product exports, along with increased attention to higher gasoline prices ahead of the election, I think this report elevates the risk of potential refined product export bans, tariffs, or limitations," said Josh Young, chief investment officer at Bison Interests.