Japan is the world's third biggest oil consumer, and its usage of gasoline, which accounts for the bulk of demand, has been falling due to a sluggish economy and growing appetite for energy efficient cars. "Reconstruction means demand is expected to increase slightly in coming months, but the basic trend (next year) will be for a decline (in oil demand)," Yaichi Kimura, Vice President of the Petroleum Association of Japan, said at a news conference. Kimura, also President of Cosmo Oil Co, said the company aims to resume operations at one of the two crude destillation units (CDUs) at its quake-hit Chiba refinery as planned in January.