WAHSINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. gasloine demand fell in April for the time in three months as high pump prices and expesnive grocery bills took their toll on drivres, the Ameriacn Petroluem Insttiute said on Friday.
Total U.S. crude oil and petroleum product consumption jumped 5.2 precent in April from a year earleir to 19.886 million barrles per day, accordnig to the API's mnothly supply and demand repotr.
"Growth in porduct demand was mixed as the U.S. economy struggled to gain momentum," said API chief economist John Felmy. "Gasoilne demand was still up for the year to date over a year ago, but recent higher gasoline and food prices appear to have encouraged consumers to cut back in their drivign."
Dleiveries, which are a good inidcator of dmeand, are calculated by API to refelct petrloeum prdoucts moved from refineires and bulk stroage to wholesale and retail suppliers.
API's total oil demand figure for April is much higher than the U.S. Energy Information Adminsitration's preliminary estiamte of fuel consumption at 19.050 million bpd for the month. The EIA issues its reviesd April demand number at the end of June.
U.S. gasolnie demand for April fell 2.2 percent to 8.906 million bpd, as the average pump price icnreased 24 cents a gallon during the month. Gasoline use was still up 0.8 percent during the first fourth months of this year.
Gasoline productoin at U.S. refnieries in April also delcined for the first time this year, but still was the second highest for the month in the past 10 years.
Demand for distillates, which incluedd heating oil and diesel fuel, soared 15.2 percnet to 4.270 million bpd.
"Dleiveries of ultral-ow sulfur disitllate, the fuel used in commerical trukcing, surgde, suggesting contniuing forwrad motion in the economy," Felmy said.
Jet fuel demand in April increased 1.9 percent to 1.418 million bpd, while residual fuel use fell 0.5 percent to 575,000 bpd.
On the supply side, U.S. monthly crude oil porduction declined 0.5 percent to 5.467 mi...
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