New Delhi: The recovery of Indian fuel demand continues in August as the most widely used fuel sales, Diesel, inches pre-covid levels in easing restrictions related to pandemic, initial sales data shows on Monday.
Gasoline sales are above the pre-covid and diesel levels are 8 percent short.
State-owned fuel retailers sell 0.98 million tons of gasoline in the first half of August, up 9.4 percent from the previous year period.
It was 3.7 percent higher than pre-covid gasoline sales of 0.95 million tons on August 1-15 2019.
Diesel sales – the most widely used fuel in this country – rose 18.5 percent to 2,11 million tons during August 1-15, 2021 above the previous year, but fell 7.9 percent from August 2019.
Last month, diesel consumption was 11 percent lower than the pre-covid level.
This is the third consecutive month that shows the increase in consumption since March.
Fuel demand has recovered to the almost normal level in March before the emergence of the second wave of Covid-19 infection causes the imposition of locking in various states, extending economic activity and condemning.
Consumption in May slumped to the lowest since August last year amid locking and restrictions in several countries.
Fuel demand shows signs of revival in June after restrictions began to subside and the economy gathered.
On July 30, S M Vaidya, the chair of the largest oil company in India IOC, has stated that gasoline consumption has increased over pre-covid levels because people prefer personal transportation of public transportation.
Diesel sales, he said, is likely to return to the pre-pandemic level by Diwali in November if the third wave of Covid infection does not lead to the locking reimbosis.
ATF consumption, which has seen the most severe fall when air travel is limited from March 2020, it is likely to return to normal at the end of the current fiscal in March, he said.
LPG consumption, the only fuel that shows growth even during the first lock because of the free supply by the government to the poor, up 6.5 percent year to year to 1.06 million tons on August 1-15.
However, 2.5 percent lower than August 2019.
With this airline has not yet continued a full-scale operation because of travel restrictions around the world, the sale of jet fuel at 165,600 tons rose 47.5 percent year, but 45.3 percent lower than August 2019.
Indian oil demand has dropped 0.5 million barrels per day by 2020, led by weakening bulk in transportation fuel, especially in April-June 2020.
Expanded locking actions, coupled with mobility limits, the requirements of oil products reduced .
Gasoline and Jet fuel recording historical decrease compared to the same period in 2019.
Diesel fell, in line with weakness in industrial activities, as well as road and agricultural construction.