Fuel sales dip as costs rise

Fuel sales dip as costs rise
Bangkok Post (24 October 2007)

Petroleum consumption in the first nine months dropped by 1.4% due to high oil prices, but alternative fuels recorded strong growth.

Metta Bunturngsuk, director-general of the Department of Energy Business, said that from January to September this year, total consumption averaged 115 million litres per day, down 1.4% from 116.5 million litres in the same period last year.

Fuel oil usage fell by 36% _ the highest drop among petroleum products _ to 11.4 million litres from 17.8 million, followed by premium petrol, which dropped by 21.6% to 3.3 million litres a day from 4.1 million.

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand has cut its use of fuel oil for electricity generation, replacing it with cheaper and cleaner natural gas.

Alternative fuels recorded high growth in every category.

Diesel B5, a mix of 5% biofuel and 95% high-speed diesel, grew by 1,334% to 1.25 million litres a day from 88,000 litres a year earlier.

The use of natural gas for vehicles (NGV) averaged 800,000 litres of oil equivalent per day, up from 300,000 litres. Gasohol 91 consumption was 500,000 litres a day, up from 200,000 litres. Gasohol 95 use totalled 3.8 million litres a day, up 17% from 3.2 million litres.

The high growth of tourism to Thailand pushed jet fuel consumption to 13.4 million litres a day, up 10% from 12.2 million litres a day in the first nine months of last year. Price subsidies for cooking gas through the Oil Fund pushed usage to 9.7 million kilogrammes a day, up 11.1% from 8.7 million kg last year.