Thailand: Fuel consumption drops by 7.7% in first quarter

• May 06, 2021

Average fuel consumption contracted by 7.7% to 138.9 million litres per day in the first quarter due mainly to the recurrence of Covid-19, says the Department of Energy Business (DOEB).

Consumption stood at 150.6 million litres per day during the same period last year.

Demand for almost all types of petroleum products, including benzine and diesel, dropped by 0.2-74%.

Jet fuel continued to see the most decline by 74% to 4.6 from 18 million litres on daily average, followed by a 31.2% contraction of compressed natural gas to 3,300 from 4,800 tonnes per day on average in the first quarter of last year, said DOEB chief Nantika Thangsuphanich.

Petrol, including unleaded gasoline and gasohol, fell by 0.2% to 31.1 million litres per day.

Diesel consumption also went down by 0.6% to 67.2 million litres per day.

However, fuel oil consumption grew by 29% to 5.4 from 4.2 million litres per day.

Liquefied petroleum gas also increased to 16,400 from 16,000 tonnes per day in the first quarter of 2020.

Imported crude oil and refined oil volume declined by 4.9% to 922.12 kilo barrel per day (KBD) from 970.01 KBD.

Refined oil exports dropped by 6.5% to 167.87 from 180.6 KBD, with value decreasing by 3.7% to 9.98 from 10.37 billion baht.

A drop in fuel consumption followed the second Covid-19 outbreak, which erupted in mid-December last year. High daily infections in Samut Sakhon, a major industrial area in Thailand, and other provinces caused the government to re-impose measures, including travel restrictions, to curb the spread of the virus.

Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/2110895/fuel-consumption-drops-by-7-7-in-first-quarter