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 France's ability to meet domestic petroleum product demand.
France recorded oil refinery throughput of 1,152 thousand barrels daily in 2015, declining slightly to 1,122 thousand barrels daily in 2016 before increasing to 1,149 thousand barrels daily in 2017. Throughput decreased to 1,085 thousand barrels daily in 2018 and further to 978 thousand barrels daily in 2019. In 2020, refinery throughput declined sharply to 665 thousand barrels daily because of reduced transportation fuel demand, refinery maintenance, and operational disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughput recovered modestly to 683 thousand barrels daily in 2021, increased to 829 thousand barrels daily in 2022, and reached 913 thousand barrels daily in 2023, reflecting improving refinery operations and stronger downstream market conditions.
Overall, the dataset indicates a gradual decline in refinery throughput before a significant pandemic-related contraction, followed by a steady recovery during the final years of the review period. The improvement reflects increasing refinery utilization, operational optimization, and recovering fuel demand, although throughput remained below pre-pandemic levels.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating France'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 France's petroleum refining industry.