Drop in sales of petroleum products for heating

Sales of light heating oils went down 16.6 per cent in the last 12 months compared with the previous 12-month period. Sales in Telemark County plummeted by 30 per cent, while Rogaland County reported a 2.1 per cent increase in sales.

Both light fuel-oil and heating kerosene are mainly used for heating. Combined sales of these two products have dropped by around 16 per cent in the last 12 months, to 896 million litres. Sales of heating kerosene alone declined by 14.9 per cent. Hordaland County reported the biggest decline, with 23 per cent. Sales of heavy fuel-oil increased by 10 per cent in the last 12 months. The primary markets for heavy fuel-oil are shipping and industry.

Petrol and diesel
Sales of petrol over the last 12 months totalled 2,260 million litres. This is a decline of 0.3 per cent compared with the previous 12-month period. During the same period, diesel sales increased by 3.4 per cent to 1,842 million litres. Dutiable automotive diesel oil for cars and trucks accounts for almost 60 per cent of diesel sales, and increased by 4.8 per cent. Sales of tax-exempt diesel used in heating, boating, industrial production, tractors, motor vehicles with construction plates, motor implements, buses, etc. increased by 1.2 per cent.

New Statistics
Deliveries of petroleum products, October 1998. The statistics are published monthly in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics. For more information contact: Live.Tanum@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 49 19, or Ann.Christin.Boeng@ssb.no, tel. +47 21 09 47 43.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 48, 1998