Oil Refinery Throughput β - 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 Singapore's position as one of Asia's leading refining and petroleum trading hubs.
Singapore recorded oil refinery throughput of 901 thousand barrels daily in 2015, increasing to 929 thousand barrels daily in 2016 and 994 thousand barrels daily in 2017. Throughput eased slightly to 974 thousand barrels daily in 2018 before reaching 1,000 thousand barrels daily in 2019, the highest level during the review period. In 2020, refinery throughput declined to 861 thousand barrels daily because of reduced global fuel demand and pandemic-related operational disruptions. Processing volumes recovered modestly to 871 thousand barrels daily in 2021 and 888 thousand barrels daily in 2022 before declining slightly to 857 thousand barrels daily in 2023, reflecting evolving regional refining activity and export demand.
Overall, the dataset demonstrates relatively stable refinery throughput with moderate fluctuations throughout the review period. Although throughput declined during the pandemic, refinery operations recovered steadily, supported by Singapore's strategic role in regional fuel supply and petroleum trading.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating Singapore'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 Singapore's petroleum refining industry.