RP oil consumption down 6.4% in first quarter

The country's oil consumption dropped by 6.4 percent in the first three months of the year due mainly to a decrease in the volume of diesel and industrial fuel oil (IFO) by the National Power Corp. (Napocor).

The country's average consumption fell from 318,300 barrels per calendar day (BCD) in the first three months of the year from the 343,700 BCD in the same period last year. The average daily oil consumption was 356,000 barrels per calendar day (BCD) in 1999 or 18 BCD lower than the 374,000 BCD consumed in 1998.

The drop in consumption of petroleum poducts was attributed to the market's reduced utilization of IFOs, asphalts and premium gasoline.

According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the country consumed 28.96 million barrels (MB) of petroleum by-products from January to March this year down from the 30.94 MB in the same period last year.

IFO volumes dropped from 10.09 MB in the first three months of 1999 to 7.39 MB this year, for a 26.8 percent decrease. Likewise, asphalt volumes experienced a 48.6 percent reduction from 270,900 barrels last year to 139,200 barrels this year.

Aviation gas experienced a 15.7 percent drop in volumes to 8,500 barrels this year from 10,000 barrels last year.

Total gasoline consumption grew by a measly 0.7 percent in the first quarter of the year from 5.709 MB last year to 5.749 MB this year.

Sale of premium gasoline dropped while unleaded gasoline grew dramatically marking a noticeable shift by motorists to the less polluting gasoline product.

Volumes of premium gasoline dropped by 21.8 percent from 3.37 MB to 2.64 MB this year while unleaded gasoline sales rose by a whooping 58.7 percent to 1.68 MB this year from 1.06 MB last year.

Sale of regular gasoline curiously grew by a 12 percent despite the government campaign for motorists to shift to the environment-friendly unleaded gasoline. Energy officials said the regular leaded gasoline volumes will drop significantly as the legislated phaseout of leaded gasoline shifts from Metro Manila to a nationwide scope.