Petroleum demand rises

The API have released figures highlighting that US petroleum deliveries increased by 2.7% from September last year to average just above 18.6 million bpd. During the third quarter of this year, petroleum deliveries increased by 1.7% from the same period last year.

Oil product demand

During September gasoline demand rose 2.1% and 1.2% in the third quarter from 2012 levels to average 8.7 million bpd. Demand for distillates rose 3.8%, other oils 5.8% and jet fuel 1.5%. Jet fuel demand, although at 1.4 million bpd was the second lowest for the month of September in 20 years. Residual fuel oil demand fell last month by 38.3% to 232 000 bpd, hitting the lowest September level on record and just 36 000 bpd higher than the all time low of 196 000 bpd which was set in December last year.

Inputs and outputs

Refinery outputs reached 16.2 million bpd, the highest September level on record. Exports of refined petroleum products rose 15.5% to the second highest level ever a nearly 3.7 million bpd. Gasoline production also increased by 1.9% last month and 1.4% in the third quarter compared to 2012. Gasoline output hit 9.1 million, the third highest September level on record. Distillate fuel production rose 8.1% from September 2012 to reach a record of 4.9 million bpd. Year to date production of both gasoline and distillate reached all time highs averaging just above 9.0 million bpd for gasoline and 4.7 million bpd for distillate.

Stocks

September ended with crude oil stocks of 365.3 million bbls. Stocks of motor gasoline were up 9.3% on last year at 219.5 million bbls. Distillate fuel oil stocks ended at 128.2 million bbls, up 0.6%from year ago levels. Jet fuel stocks were down by 7.3% from the prior year.

Imports

US imports dropped by 4.4% from September last year to just over 10 million bpd, marking the lowest level for the month in 17 years. In September crude oil imports fell 3.3% from the previous year to average 8.1 million bpd. Imports of refined products fell by 8.8% from September 2012 to 1.9 million bpd.

Refinery utilisation

During September, refinery utilisation rates averaged 90.8%, down 0/5% from August, but up 3.2% on September last year. The latest operable refinery capacity from the API was 17.820 million bpd, up 2.4% from last year’s figure of 17.400 million bpd.

Adapted from a press release by Claira Lloyd.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/21102013/petroleum_demand_risies_september763/