INADEQUATE FUEL FOR ENROUTE AND DEST WX CONDITIONS. FLC DECLARED 'MINIMUM FUEL' FOR PRIORITY HANDLING FOR LNDG.

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AFTER EXAMINING THE CURRENT WX; TERMINAL FORECASTS; AND WIND ALOFT FORECASTS; WE DETERMINED THE RELEASE FUEL OF 16.8 THOUSAND LBS AND BURN OF 10.7 WAS MINIMAL BUT ADEQUATE FOR THIS LEG. WE LATER MADE THE DECISION TO CRUISE AT FL290 BECAUSE OF RPTS OF TURB ABOUT FL310. WINDS AT FL290 WERE APPROX 10 TO 15 KTS HIGHER THAN FORECAST. AFTER HEARING A FLT IN FRONT OF US RECEIVE HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS; WE QUERIED ATC AS TO WHETHER WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD OR NOT. AT APPROX 140 MI SE OF STL; ATC ADVISED US TO 'EXPECT HOLDING; SPD AT YOUR DISCRETION.' WE SLOWED TO 220 KTS. FUEL ON BOARD AT THIS POINT WAS 5900 LBS. WE CALLED DISPATCH AND ADVISED THEM OF THE SIT. AT APPROX 110 MI SE OF STL; ATC ISSUED HOLDING CLRNC AT RACKK INTXN. WE ADVISED ATC THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO HOLD DUE TO FUEL LIMITATIONS. ATC THEN ISSUED A CLRNC TO FLY HDG 250 DEGS AND LATER A HDG OF 270 DEGS TO 'INTERCEPT THE STL 155 DEG RADIAL AND CLRED THE QBALL2 ARR.' ATC THEN ISSUED A FREQ CHANGE. THE NEXT CTLR IMMEDIATELY ISSUED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS. WE ADVISED ATC THAT WE MUST CONTINUE TO STL OR DIVERT TO OUR ALTERNATE DEST. IND WAS OUR ALTERNATE. AT APPROX 80 MI SE OF STL ATC ISSUED A CLRNC TO 'TURN TO HDG 040 DEGS DIRECT TO BIBLE GROVE DIRECT IND; MAINTAIN FL240.' FUEL AT THIS POINT WAS APPROX 4900 LBS. WE ESTIMATED THE FUEL BURN TO IND TO BE APPROX 3000 LBS AND ENTERED DIRECT TO IND IN THE FMC. THE FMC ISSUED THE MESSAGE 'INSUFFICIENT FUEL.' WE ESTIMATED LNDG AT IND WITH 1500 TO 1900 LBS OF FUEL. SDF AND COU WERE CONSIDERED AS ALTERNATES. WE DECIDED THAT WAS CUTTING IT TOO CLOSE AND DETERMINED THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS TO LAND IN STL. DISPATCH CONCURRED WITH OUR DECISION AND WE PROCEEDED TO STL DECLARING 'MINIMUM FUEL.' WX IN STL AT TIME OF ARR WAS 20 SCATTERED 54 BROKEN 2.5 S. WE LANDED WITH 4300 LBS OF FUEL.