According to preliminary petroleum statistics for November released by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy on December 26, crude oil imports totaled 1159 million kiloliters (a 2.6% increase compared to the same month last year), exceeding the previous year's figures for the second consecutive month.
<Trends in crude oil imports and dependence on the Middle East>
The countries from which imports are, in descending order of volume, Saudi Arabia (513 million kl, 2.5% increase), the United Arab Emirates (452 million kl, 4.8% increase), the United States (62 million kl, 215.7% increase), Kuwait (59 million kl, 28.1% decrease), and Qatar (43 million kl, 20.3% decrease).
The dependence on the Middle East was 92.1%, a decrease of 3.0 percentage points compared to the same month last year, marking the ninth consecutive month of decline.
Fuel oil production was 1158 million kiloliters (0% increase), the same level as the previous year. Broken down by fuel type, jet fuel, diesel fuel, and heavy fuel oil B and C increased compared to the same month of the previous year, but gasoline, naphtha, kerosene, and heavy fuel oil A decreased compared to the same month of the previous year.
Fuel oil inventories fell to 985 million kiloliters (down 2.9%), marking the second consecutive month of declines compared to the previous year. By fuel type, diesel fuel and heavy fuel oil A increased compared to the same month last year, while gasoline, naphtha, jet fuel, kerosene, and heavy fuel oil B and C decreased compared to the same month last year.
