Oil Refinery Throughput โ - Oil Refinery Throughput refers to the actual volume of crude oil and other refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during a given period. It is typically measured in thousand barrels per day (kb/d) and represents the operational output of the refining sector rather than its installed capacity. This indicator reflects the extent to which refinery infrastructure is utilized to convert crude oil into refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, kerosene, fuel oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and other petroleum products. Oil Refinery Throughput is widely used to assess refinery operations, downstream petroleum activity, fuel production levels, and the efficiency of refinery utilization.
It serves as an important indicator of refinery utilization, fuel production, industrial efficiency, energy security, and Argentina's ability to meet domestic petroleum product demand.
Argentina recorded oil refinery throughput of 536 thousand barrels daily in 2015, declining to 511 thousand barrels daily in 2016, 500 thousand barrels daily in 2017, and 470 thousand barrels daily in 2018. Throughput recovered slightly to 476 thousand barrels daily in 2019 before declining to 417 thousand barrels daily in 2020 because of reduced fuel demand and pandemic-related disruptions. Processing volumes increased to 472 thousand barrels daily in 2021, 489 thousand barrels daily in 2022, and 519 thousand barrels daily in 2023, reflecting improving refinery utilization and downstream activity.
Overall, the dataset demonstrates moderate fluctuations in refinery throughput throughout the review period. Following the pandemic-related decline, refinery processing volumes recovered steadily, supported by improving operational performance and stronger domestic fuel demand.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating Argentina's refinery throughput trends, analyzing downstream industry performance, and assessing crude oil processing activity. It supports refinery utilization analysis, investment planning, energy security assessments, and policy evaluation while providing valuable insights for researchers, analysts, industry stakeholders, and policymakers studying refinery efficiency, infrastructure utilization, and the long-term development of Argentina's petroleum refining industry.