Japan Feb crude import volume down 3.5%

TOKYO, March 16 : Japan's customs-cleared crude oil

imports fell 3.5 per cent in February from the same month a year

earlier, the Ministry of Finance said on Thursday.

Japan, the world's fourth-biggest crude buyer, imported 2.8

million barrels per day (12.459 million kilolitres) of crude oil

last month, the preliminary data showed.

Japan's imports of liquefied natural gas totalled 6.402

million tonnes last month, down 9.9 per cent from a year earlier.

Imports of thermal coal for power generation increased by 1.4 per cent

in February to 9.492 million tonnes, the data showed.

Following is a preliminary breakdown of energy imports for last month, with volumes of crude, oil products and gasoline/naphtha

in million kilolitres; LNG, LPG and coal in million tonnes; values in million yen.

February figures

Fuel Volume Yr/Yr (%) Value Yr/Yr (%)

Mineral Fuels n/a n/a 2,577,485 19.3

Crude Oil 12.459 -3.5 895,963 10.6

Oil Products n/a n/a 185,187 -7.3

(Mogas/Naphtha) 1.806 -15.7 115,439 -13.5

LNG 6.402 -9.9 761,367 12.8

LPG 0.882 -14.6 79,415 -14.4

Coal 14.533 -0.2 652,558 74.1

(Thermal Coal) 9.492 1.4 447,596 106.3