Refinery production totalled 8,465.5 thousand cubic metres in April, down 7.8 % from the same month a year earlier. The largest volumetric decreases were seen in motor gasoline (-599.5 thousand cubic metres or -17.2%) and heavy fuel oil (-122.2 thousand cubic metres or -16.7%). All other products registered declines with the exception of propane, butane and petrochemical feedstock which posted modest gains. Year-to-date production decreased 3.7 % from a year earlier.

Crude oil and equivalent receipts by refineries totalled 7,650.6 thousand cubic metres in April, down 360.7 thousand cubic metres or 4.5 % from a year earlier. Receipts of domestic crude oils at 3,285.9 thousand cubic metres were down 20.6 % from the previous year. Imported crude oils which accounted for 57.1% of total refinery receipts were up 492.2 thousand cubic metres or 12.7 % from the previous year. Year-to-date refinery receipts totalled 33,408 .5 thousand cubic metres, down 6.6 % from the same period a year earlier.

North Sea crude oils totalled 2,082.6 thousand cubic metres, representing 47.7 % of total imports in April. Nearly 72 % of that volume originated from Norway. Year-to-date imports at 15,664.6 thousand cubic metres were down 2,011.1 thousand cubic metres or 11.4 % from a year earlier.

Domestic sales of refined petroleum products in April totalled 7,590.8 thousand cubic metres, down 0.2% from a year earlier. Motor gasoline sales, representing 44% of all product sales, totalled 3,308.9 thousand cubic metres. This represented an increase of 52.7 thousand cubic metres or 1.6 % from a year earlier. Diesel fuel oil sales at 1,855.7 thousand cubic metres were down 76.5 thousand cubic metres or 4.0 %. Year-to-date sales for all refined products totalled 31,644.7 thousand cubic metres, down 3.5 % from the same period in 2005.

Refined petroleum product inventories at 9,572.3 thousand cubic metres were down by 530.6 thousand cubic metres or 5.3 % from a year earlier. Inventories were down by 874.1 thousand cubic metres or 8.3 % from the previous month.