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Energy & Power๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ India

India Oil Refinery Throughput

- Oil Refinery Throughput refers to the actual volume of crude oil and other refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during a given period.

India Oil Refinery ThroughputThousand Barrels Daily ยท 2015โ€“2023

5,5005,0004,5004,0002015: 4,5612016: 4,9302017: 5,0102018: 5,1542019: 5,1192020: 4,493Trough2021: 4,7922022: 5,0822023: 5,249Peak20152017201920212023
Source: energyinst.orgLast updated: July 2026

What India Oil Refinery Throughput shows

India Oil Refinery Throughput was 5,249 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023, up 3.3% on 2022. The Oil Refinery Throughput dataset of India from 2015 to 2023 provides a comprehensive overview of the country's petroleum refining activity, highlighting annual crude oil processing volumes, refinery performance, and developments across the downstream oil industry. Measured in million barrels daily, the dataset represents the actual volume of crude oil processed by domestic refineries each day.

Trend

Rising to a series high

India Oil Refinery Throughput moved from 4,561 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2015 to 5,249 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 (+15.1%), an average of +1.8% a year. The series high was 5,249 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 and the low 4,493 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2020.

Volatility

A 14.4% peak-to-trough swing

The gap between the series high (2023) and low (2020) is 756 Thousand Barrels Daily. The sharpest single-year move was โˆ’12.2% in 2020.

Structure

Ranks 4 of 44 countries covered

Among the 44 countries in this dataset, India ranks 4 for 2023, behind U.S. (15,963 Thousand Barrels Daily) and China (15,102 Thousand Barrels Daily). It accounts for 6.3% of the global total in 2023.

Full series

India Oil Refinery Throughput by year

Complete annual series with year-on-year change. Values are reported in Thousand Barrels Daily.

Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.

India Oil Refinery Throughput, 2015โ€“2023, Thousand Barrels Daily.
YearThousand Barrels DailyChange vs prior year
2023Peak 5,249 +3.3%
2022 5,082 +6.1%
2021 4,792 +6.7%
2020 Trough4,493 โˆ’12.2%
2019 5,119 โˆ’0.7%
2018 5,154 +2.9%
2017 5,010 +1.6%
2016 4,930 +8.1%
2015 4,561 โ€”

Regional context

How India compares in Asia-Pacific

Oil Refinery Throughput by country, 2023, Thousand Barrels Daily. India is highlighted.

1China
15,102
2India
5,249
3South Korea
2,758
4Japan
2,545
5Thailand
1,054
6Indonesia
895
7Singapore
857
8Taiwan
807

Data definition

Inclusions and exclusions

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.

Inclusions

The data includes the actual quantity of crude oil and eligible refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during the reporting period. It covers throughput from both public and privately operated refineries, including onshore and, where applicable, offshore refining facilities. The indicator reflects crude oil processed into refined petroleum products regardless of whether the crude oil is domestically produced or imported. It includes refinery operations across all major processing units involved in converting crude oil into finished petroleum products. Data is compiled from national energy authorities, refinery operators, and standardized international energy databases using internationally recognized reporting methodologies, enabling consistent comparison of refinery throughput across countries and over time.

Exclusions

The data excludes refinery nameplate capacity, crude oil production, crude oil reserves, oil consumption, imports and exports of refined petroleum products, and refinery utilization rates when reported separately. It does not include production from natural gas processing plants, biofuel refineries, synthetic fuel facilities, gas-to-liquids (GTL), or coal-to-liquids (CTL) plants unless specifically classified within refinery operations. The indicator also excludes petrochemical manufacturing processes that do not involve crude oil refining and does not directly measure refinery efficiency, product quality, profitability, or environmental performance. Minor variations may occur due to differences in national reporting standards, feedstock classifications, refinery accounting practices, and statistical estimation methodologies across countries.

About this indicator

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 growth, energy security, and India's ability to meet rising domestic demand while supporting petroleum product exports.

India recorded oil refinery throughput of 4.56 million barrels daily in 2015, increasing to 4.93 million barrels daily in 2016 and 5.01 million barrels daily in 2017. Throughput continued to rise to 5.15 million barrels daily in 2018 before easing slightly to 5.12 million barrels daily in 2019. In 2020, refinery throughput declined to 4.49 million barrels daily because of reduced fuel demand and operational disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Processing volumes recovered to 4.79 million barrels daily in 2021, increased to 5.08 million barrels daily in 2022, and reached 5.25 million barrels daily in 2023, the highest level during the review period, reflecting expanding refinery activity and strengthening downstream demand.

Overall, the dataset indicates a strong long-term growth trend in refinery throughput despite the temporary decline during 2020. The recovery highlights improving refinery utilization, expanding downstream infrastructure, and sustained growth in domestic and export-oriented petroleum product demand.

The dataset is valuable for evaluating India'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 development, and the long-term competitiveness of India's petroleum refining industry.

Indicator
Oil Refinery Throughput
Country
India
Region
Asia-Pacific
Unit
Thousand Barrels Daily
Coverage
2015โ€“2023, annual
Category
Energy & Power
Last updated
July 2026
Source
energyinst.org

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Frequently asked questions

What is India Oil Refinery Throughput?

Definition- 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.

What was India Oil Refinery Throughput in 2023?

India Oil Refinery Throughput was 5,249 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023, up 3.3% on 2022.

How has India Oil Refinery Throughput changed between 2015 and 2023?

India Oil Refinery Throughput moved from 4,561 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2015 to 5,249 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 (+15.1%), an average of +1.8% a year. The series high was 5,249 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 and the low 4,493 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2020.

Which year had the highest and lowest India Oil Refinery Throughput?

The highest value was 5,249 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2023 and the lowest was 4,493 Thousand Barrels Daily in 2020.

What does the India Oil Refinery Throughput data include and exclude?

Included: The data includes the actual quantity of crude oil and eligible refinery feedstocks processed by petroleum refineries during the reporting period. It covers throughput from both public and privately operated refineries, including onshore and, where applicable, offshore refining facilities. The indicator reflects crude oil processed into refined petroleum products regardless of whether the crude oil is domestically produced or imported. It includes refinery operations across all major processing units involved in converting crude oil into finished petroleum products. Data is compiled from national energy authorities, refinery operators, and standardized international energy databases using internationally recognized reporting methodologies, enabling consistent comparison of refinery throughput across countries and over time. Excluded: The data excludes refinery nameplate capacity, crude oil production, crude oil reserves, oil consumption, imports and exports of refined petroleum products, and refinery utilization rates when reported separately. It does not include production from natural gas processing plants, biofuel refineries, synthetic fuel facilities, gas-to-liquids (GTL), or coal-to-liquids (CTL) plants unless specifically classified within refinery operations. The indicator also excludes petrochemical manufacturing processes that do not involve crude oil refining and does not directly measure refinery efficiency, product quality, profitability, or environmental performance. Minor variations may occur due to differences in national reporting standards, feedstock classifications, refinery accounting practices, and statistical estimation methodologies across countries.

Where does the India Oil Refinery Throughput data come from?

The series is sourced from energyinst.org (https://www.energyinst.org/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1542714/684_EI_Stat_Review_V16_DIGITAL.pdf). It covers 2015โ€“2023 and is reported in Thousand Barrels Daily.

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