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 Venezuela's ability to supply domestic petroleum product demand.
Venezuela recorded oil refinery throughput of 863 thousand barrels daily in 2015, declining sharply to 654 thousand barrels daily in 2016 and 544 thousand barrels daily in 2017. Throughput continued to fall to 306 thousand barrels daily in 2018 and 135 thousand barrels daily in 2019. In 2020, refinery throughput declined further to 123 thousand barrels daily, reflecting prolonged operational constraints and refinery disruptions. Processing volumes recovered modestly to 135 thousand barrels daily in 2021, increased slightly to 138 thousand barrels daily in 2022, and eased marginally to 137 thousand barrels daily in 2023, indicating continued challenges in refinery operations.
Overall, the dataset demonstrates a substantial long-term decline in refinery throughput throughout the review period. Although limited recovery was observed after 2020, processing volumes remained significantly below earlier levels, reflecting persistent operational and infrastructure constraints.
The dataset is valuable for evaluating Venezuela's refinery throughput trends, analyzing downstream industry performance, and assessing crude oil processing activity. It supports refinery utilization analysis, energy security assessments, investment evaluation, and policy development while providing valuable insights for researchers, analysts, industry stakeholders, and policymakers studying refinery efficiency, infrastructure conditions, and the future development of Venezuela's petroleum refining industry.