India’s fuel demand fell 2.6% in August compared with the same month last year, data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC) of the oil ministry showed.

Consumption of fuel, a proxy for oil demand, totalled 18.35 million metric tons in August versus 19.66 million metric tons in July, the data showed.

Sales of gasoline, or petrol, were 8.6% higher from a year earlier at 3.36 million metric tons. Diesel consumption was down 2.5% and totaled 6.50 million metric tons in August.

Cooking gas or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) sales increased 7.7% to 2.65 million metric tons, while naphtha sales fell 3.7% to 1.16 million metric tons.

Sales of bitumen, used for making roads, were 17.2% lower, while fuel oil use edged up 3.1% in August.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Swati Verma in Bengaluru)