Q In view of the present concern about fuel, do you have any figures showing UK oil consumption?
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A During the first quarter of 1967 it
amounted to 21,459,418 tons (exclusive of bunker fuel for ships in the foreign trade), according to the Petroleum Information Bureau. This represented an increase of 8.4 per cent above the corresponding figure for the March quarter of 1966.
Just over half of the total comprised fuel oil, gas oil and diesel oil (other than that used by road transport). Consumption of this group of products totalled 11,381,277 tons, excluding a further 1,228,219 tons burned as fuel in the refineries themselves.
Deliveries of motor spirit increased by 10.3 per cent to reach 2,744,367 tons. Demand for 5 Star grades (formerly classified as "Best" grades) improved by 44.8 per cent and there was a rise of 4.9 per cent in consumption of 4 Star and 3 Star grades ("Premium" grades). 2 Star grades ("Regular" grades) recorded a growth of 11.7 per cent.
The increased road transport requirement was also reflected in a 3 per cent increase in demand for "derv" (diesel-engined road vehicle) fuel, consumption amounting to 1,021,940 tons. Demand for aviation fuels rose by 11.4 per cent, deliveries totalling 589,913 tons (of which 497,322 tons represented aviation turbine fuels other than wide-cut). Among the other products, there was a substantial increase in the use of naphtha (formerly classified as light distillate feedstock) both for gas-making and for production of chemicals. Deliveries of this product for gas manufacture amounted to 1,268,900 tons (a rise of 43.4 per cent) and for chemical production, 934,027 tons (an increase of 37 per cent).