Refiner and marketer Caltex Australia's sales edged lower in March from a month earlier, hinting at a slowdown in product demand because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sales from the firm's 109,000 b/d Lytton refinery in Queensland were 105,000 b/d last month, down from 110,000 b/d in February. Sales were up from 96,000 b/d a year earlier.
Sales in January-March were 108,500 b/d, which is near the plant's nameplate capacity and up from 104,000 b/d a year earlier.
Caltex reported a rise in the refinery margin at Lytton to $4.62/bl in March from $4.14/bl in February, but this was down from $8.67/bl in March 2019. Margins averaged $4.87/bl in January-March, down from $7.53/bl a year earlier.
Caltex is planning to bring forward scheduled maintenance at Lytton by around two months to the start of May because of lower fuel demand and prices.
