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 Brazil's ability to meet domestic fuel demand while supporting regional petroleum product markets.
Brazil recorded oil refinery throughput of 1.97 million barrels daily in 2015, declining to 1.81 million barrels daily in 2016, 1.74 million barrels daily in 2017, and 1.73 million barrels daily in 2018. Throughput increased slightly to 1.75 million barrels daily in 2019 and 1.77 million barrels daily in 2020. Processing volumes continued to recover, reaching 1.82 million barrels daily in 2021, 1.94 million barrels daily in 2022, and 1.99 million barrels daily in 2023, the highest level during the review period, reflecting improving refinery utilization and stronger downstream activity.
Overall, the dataset demonstrates a gradual recovery in refinery throughput after an initial decline during the early years of the review period. The continued increase after 2020 highlights improving operational efficiency, resilient domestic fuel demand, and strengthening refinery performance.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating Brazil'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 competitiveness of Brazil's petroleum refining industry.