Mumbai: The country's crude oil import bill rose over 38 per cent to $61.16 billion in the first 11 months of financial year 2007-08 on the back of a surge in oil prices.

India imported 111.09 million tonnes of crude oil in April-February 07-08, worth $61.165 billion (Rs2,43,205.5 crore) against 101.213 million tonnes crude worth $44.124 billion (Rs2,00,321 crore) imported a year ago, latest data from the petroleum ministry showed.

India also imported 20.19 million tonnes of other petroleum products, including naphtha, LPG, kerosene and diesel, worth around $13.4 billion (Rs54,180 crore) in the first 11 months of the current year.

For April-February 2006-07, it had imported 15.77 million tonnes of products worth $8.527 billion (Rs37,632 crore).

Fuel consumption in the country grew 6.4 per cent to 116.711 million tonnes in April-February '07-08 even as demand for diesel zoomed to 43.27 million tonnes.

Private refiners Reliance and Essar imported 34,644 million tonnes of crude worth $18 billion (Rs72,381 crore). The country also saw a 20.4 per cent rise in fuel exports at $36.16 million tonnes worth $23.86 billion (Rs95,906 crore).

Diesel exports rose the most at 13 million tonnes worth $9 billion (Rs36,200 crore) while naphtha exports rose to 8.62 million tonnes worth $6 billion (Rs25,002 crore).

In the April-February period, the country also imported 5.77 million tonnes of naphtha worth $4.34 billion (Rs17,495 crore) and 2.5 million tonnes of LPG worth $1.86 billion (Rs7,479 crore).

Net imports (crude plus product imports minus exports) stood at 95.117 million tonnes worth $50.73 billion (Rs2,01,479.3 crore).