Mirroring revival of the economy, petroleum product sales has risen by a healthy 4.3 per cent to 8.085 million tonnes in December 2002 as opposed to 7.752 million tonnes consumption in the same month the previous year.
Diesel sales, which are reflective of the state of the economy, were up 4.7 per cent to 3.335 million tonnes in December 2002 as compared to 3.182 million tonnes in the same period last year, according to latest data made available by oil marketing companies.
Petrol sales were up 11.5 per cent to 668,000 tonnes as against 599,100 tonnes petrol consumed in December 2001.
Petroleum product sales increased 1.40 per cent to 67.466 million tonnes in the first nine months of the current fiscal when compared with 66.534 million tonnes consumed a year ago.
While petrol sales were up 9.5 per cent to 5.741 million tonnes in April-December 2002, diesel sales rose from 27.538 million tonnes in April-December 2001 to 27.74 million tones this fiscal.
Kerosene sales, however, declined by over four per cent to 808,000 tonnes in December from 844,100 tonnes in the same month of the previous year. LPG, the other widely used domestic cooking fuel, sales on the other hand rose 7.91 per cent to 717,900 tonnes as opposed to 665,300 tonnes in December 2001.
Lubricants/grease sales posted a handsome 29.57 per cent increase to 87,200 tonnes in December while naphtha sales fell 12.83 per cent to 652,300 tonnes in December 2002.
Aviation Turbine Fuel (jet fuel) sales increased marginally from 1.67 million tonnes in April-December 2001 to 1.7 million tonnes this fiscal.
