LOC18:51
15:51 GMT
TOKYO, April 10 (KUNA) -- China's crude oil imports fell 5.5 percent in
March from a year earlier to 16.34 million tons, or 3.86 million barrels a day
(bpd), but jumped 39.3 percent from February's 11.73 million tons for the
first rise in three months, government data showed Friday.
Crude oil imports in the first three months of this year fell 10.2 percent
from the same period in 2008 to 40.89 million tons (3.33 million bpd), the
General Administration of Customs said on its website.
China's National Energy Administration, a top level administration oversees
the energy sector, announced in February that the country, the world's
second-biggest oil importer, would build eight new crude oil reserves by 2011.
The program will increase its strategic crude reserve capacity to 44.6
million cu m. (end)
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