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China Jan-Feb refinery output up 3% on Lunar New Year travels

China's crude oil throughput in January and February increased 3% compared to the same 2 months a year earlier, information showed on Monday, as refineries raised production to meet strong demand for transportation fuels over the hectic Lunar New Year travel duration.

Overall refinery throughput worldwide's second-largest oil customer was 118.76 million metric lots, equivalent to 14.45 million barrels each day (bpd), information from the National Bureau of Stats (NBS) revealed on Monday.

China combines data for January and February into one release to ravel the impact of the Lunar New Year holidays, which fall in either of these months each year.

However, ' estimations based upon NBS's online database showed the year-on-year development was at a smaller sized 2.3%. and every day the boost was just 0.6% versus 14.36. million bpd in February 2023 when the month is one day shorter.

This recommends the agency might have modified down in 2015's. figures. NBS was not immediately offered for comment.

China's unrefined imports in the first 2 months of the year. rose 5.1% from a year previously, customizeds data showed previously in. March, underscoring what experts referred to as strong fuel demand. in the world's largest oil importer.

Travel throughout the vacation increased substantially compared. to 2023, when the holiday coincided with the tail-end of China's. exit from COVID constraints in late 2022.

The variety of domestic journeys throughout this year's vacation grew. by 34.3% from a year earlier, amounting to 474 million, data from. the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed.

International flight also surged. Inbound and outbound. trips grew by 2.8 times from the very same vacation duration in 2015. to 13.52 million, according to the National Immigration. Administration.

In spite of resurgent travel, independent refiners cut. throughput as margins thinned, especially in February, topping. the nationwide output increase.

JLC, a China-based commodities consultancy, estimated that. independent plants in the refining center of Shandong province ran. crude units at approximately 58.27% of capacity in February,. down 4.91 portion points from January and down 9.6 percentage. points from a year previously.

For 2024 as an entire, state oil major China National. Petroleum Corp (CNPC) has actually anticipated refinery throughput will grow. by 1.8% to a record 15.04 million bpd, amid resilient need for. jet fuel and steady gasoline usage.

Nevertheless, CNPC experts expect typical refinery usage. rates this year to fall somewhat to 78.3% as capability increases.

Meanwhile, the stats bureau revealed that China's. January-February domestic crude oil production increased 2.9 % on. year to 35.11 million metric tons, or 4.27 million bpd, which. according to ' record of NBS information is the greatest day-to-day. rate considering that March 2023.

Natural gas production increased 5.9 % in January-February over. the same year-earlier level to 41.7 billion cubic meters (bcm).

(source: Reuters)