India's fuel sales drop 9.4% in April on COVID wave

New Delhi: India's fuel demand slumped 9.4 per cent in April when compared to the preceding month as lockdowns clamped in several states to curb the second wave of coronavirus sweeping the nation pummelled demand, official data showed on Wednesday.

Fuel consumption fell 9.38 per cent to 17.01 million tonnes in April from 18.77 million tonnes in March, data from Oil Ministry's Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) showed.

India was under one of the world's severest lockdowns in April 2020, bringing to a halt almost all economic activity. Fuel sales had halved that month, plunging to the lowest since 2006. Comparing on a yearly basis, fuel demand surged 81.5 per cent from April 2020 lows.

Sales of petrol — used in cars and motorcycles — fell to 2.38 million tonnes in April, the lowest since August. Petrol sales in April were 13 per cent lower than March 2021 and 3 per cent lower than April 2019. Petrol sales in April 2020 were 9,72,000 tonnes.

Demand for diesel — the most used fuel in the country — fell to 6.67 million tonnes in April 2021, down 7.5 per cent from the previous month and 9 per cent from April 2019. Diesel sales in April 2020 were 3.25 million tonnes.

With airlines continuing to operate at less than capacity, jet fuel (ATF) sales in April were 4,09,000 tonnes, down 14 per cent over March 2021 and 36.7 per cent over April 2019. Jet fuel sales in April 2020 were 5,500 tonnes. Sales volume of cooking gas LPG fell 6.4 per cent to 2.1 million tonnes in April 2021 when compared to the previous month. The sales were 11.6 per cent higher than 1.9 million tonnes in April 2019.

Bitumen, used in making roads, consumption fell to 6,58,000 tonnes in April 2021 from 9,04,000 tonnes in the previous month. It was lower than 6,91,000 tonnes sales in April 2019.

Demand is likely to witness a sharper slump in May due to more impending restrictions.

Declining fuel sales will reduce crude intake by refiners, reducing operating run rate.

"India's 2Q21 (April-June) oil demand is projected to be impacted by the recent surge in COVID-19 infection cases," OPEC said in its monthly oil report.