Oil import bill up 56 percent till October
By Our Corporate Bureau | 02 Dec 2004
New
Delhi: The crude oil import bill has jumped 56.3
per cent to Rs71,578 crore in the first seven months
of this fiscal against the same period last year because
of the steep rise in international crude oil prices
petroleum minister Mani Shankar Aiyar said.
In October, crude oil imports were 8 million tonnes
or about 1.89 million bpd, which was up 1.1 per cent
against the same month last year, but 6.2 per cent lower
than September this year mainly because some refining
units were shut for maintenance or repair in that month
he said.
Exports
rose 6.2 per cent to 9 million tonnes, while imports
of refined products rose 25 per cent to 4.17 million
tonnes over the same period.
The export of refined products in October, at 1.51 million
tonnes, was 7 per cent lower than September's 1.66 million
tonnes, but 33 per cent higher than October last year,
when refiners reported a sharp dip in overseas sales.
Diesel exports in October were 8.2 per cent lower than
September as domestic sales of the fuel rose.
Domestic
sales of refined products by state-run firms in October-December,
the first seven months of the fiscal year, rose more
than 5 per cent, while crude throughput at 18 refineries
rose 6.35 per cent to 2.53 million bpd.
Domestic crude output in April-December was 681,000
bpd, 3.6 percent over the same period last year.
He said the buyer-seller conference to be held in New
Delhi on January 6 would be attended by oil ministers
of West Asian crude oil producing countries who would
discuss stability, security and sustainability of oil
supplies.
The
buyer-seller conference is an attempt by India to bring
about a consensus among key Asian oil producers and
buyers for creating a different price benchmark than
the prevailing ones based in London and New York.
Seven oil producers — Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran,
Qatar, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and
Indonesia — and four principal buyers — India,
China, Korea and Japan — would be discussing "stability,
security and sustainability of oil supplies", he
said.
The
oil ministers would discuss all dimensions of oil economy,
from marketing, investment, research and development
to environmental issues, he said.
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