India’s September crude imports decline at slower pace; LPG imports jump
NEW DELHI: India’s crude oil imports fell for the sixth straight month in September as surging Covid-19 cases continued to limit fuel demand, but the decline was the least since virus restrictions began earlier this year, government data showed on Tuesday.
Imports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) surged 4.5% to 1.64 million tonnes in September, the highest since Refinitiv started collecting data going back to 2004.
Crude oil imports fell about 9.8% in September from a year earlier to 15.18 million tonnes, or 3.71 million barrels per day (bpd), data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the ministry of petroleum & natural gas showed.
On a monthly basis, imports in the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer fell about 10% from 16.86 million tonnes, or 4.12 million bpd, in August.
The year-on-year decline in crude imports, however, was the least in six months as easing coronavirus restrictions supported economic activity and travel.
