Indian refiners process less crude in April as pandemic stalls activity

A second wave of virus infections have forced several states to impose stricter restrictions to limit the movement of people, impacting industrial activities and fuel consumption.

Reuters

May 21, 2021 / 21:46 IST

Reuters

26 Aug, 2025 12:21

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India's crude oil processing fell in April from the previous month with top refiners reducing crude runs as a fierce second wave of coronavirus infections curbs mobility and demand for fuel.

Refiners processed about 4.9 million barrels per day (bpd) or 19.89 million tonnes of oil last month, government data showed. That was 1.2% lower than March levels but a 35% jump from a year earlier.

"As of now, the companies are not operating at maximum capacity because several states have placed partial shutdowns and have granted permission to operate at half capacity," said Gaurav Garg, Head of Research at CapitalVia Global Research.

Fuel demand also fell last month as world's third largest oil consumer has been reporting around 250,000 infections and 4,000 deaths daily.

A second wave of virus infections have forced several states to impose stricter restrictions to limit the movement of people, impacting industrial activities and fuel consumption.

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