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 Colombia's ability to meet domestic petroleum product demand.
Colombia recorded oil refinery throughput of 244 thousand barrels daily in 2015, increasing significantly to 339 thousand barrels daily in 2016 and 355 thousand barrels daily in 2017. Throughput rose further to 415 thousand barrels daily in 2018 and remained unchanged in 2019. In 2020, refinery throughput declined to 355 thousand barrels daily because of reduced fuel demand and pandemic-related operational disruptions. Processing volumes recovered to 375 thousand barrels daily in 2021, increased to 388 thousand barrels daily in 2022, and reached 398 thousand barrels daily in 2023, reflecting improving refinery utilization and downstream market conditions.
Overall, the dataset demonstrates a strong long-term improvement in refinery throughput despite the temporary decline during 2020. The subsequent recovery highlights strengthening refinery operations, increasing processing efficiency, and resilient domestic fuel demand.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating Colombia'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 Colombia's petroleum refining industry.