In the quiet arithmetic of supply and demand, the United States found itself holding more crude oil than the market expected — three million barrels more, against a forecast that had called for a modest drawdown. Released Wednesday by the Energy Information Administration, the data from storage hubs like Cushing, Oklahoma, suggests that refineries are consuming oil more slowly than anticipated, a signal that demand may be softening beneath the surface of an otherwise functioning energy complex. While gasoline and diesel inventories fell as expected, the crude build stands apart as a cautionary