India’s oil consumption up by 6%

Refined product sales in India, a proxy for the country’s oil demand, rose above the 11 million metric ton (mt) mark in December 2009. At 11.36 million mt, sales were 5.9% higher than the corresponding month of 2008 and up 5.2% from 10.79 million mt in November, the latest data from the oil ministry showed. Refined products consumption during the January-December 2009 period totaled around 136 million mt, or an average of 2.94 million barrels per day, up 3.8% from the 131.04 million mt recorded in 2008. Gasoline sales staged the strongest growth in 2009, rising 14.4% from a year ago to 12.58 million mt. (January 19, 2010)