TOKYO: Japan's total oil product sales in November fell to a 46-year low, as a shrinking population and warmer-than-normal weather dented demand for all of the main product grades despite lower crude oil prices, trade ministry data showed on Monday.
Total oil product sales fell 6.9 percent from a year earlier to 3.04 million barrels per day (14.49 million kilolitres for the whole month), the lowest for the month since 1969, an official with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said.
Sales of B-, C-type fuel oil, used for ships and power generation, led the decline, falling 30.8 percent to a 56-year low of 200,000 bpd, the official added, as utilities curbed use of costly oil-fired power generation amid lower power demand.
Kerosene sales fell 14.7 percent to a 46-year low in the month from the year-ago period, as average temperatures at eight major cities were above last year's level.
Crude oil imports in November by the world's fourth-biggest buyer rose 6 percent from a year earlier to 3.26 million barrels per day (15.55 million kilolitres).
Following is a table of oil statistics for November. Figures are converted to bpd from kilolitres unless noted. Percentage changes are based on bpd, not kilolitres, with inventory volumes in barrels.
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