OREANDA-NEWS. April 9, 2009. In March of the year State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) increased oil refining by 7% and compared to December 2008 the decline made up 21%.

SOCAR reports that this March it was refined 475,500 tons of oil versus 444,380 tons in February, 580,750 tons in January 2009 and 601,960 in December 2008.

For Jan-Mar 2009 refining totaled 1.5 million tons. While target on production of petroleum products for 2009 is 6.21 million and for Jan-Mar term it was implemented by 24.16%.

Last year oil refining reached 7.347 million tons of oil, and the Jan-Mar 2009 indicator makes 20.4% of this volume.

This March it was produced 98,070 tons of motor petrol (versus 80,890 tons in February and 106,750 tons in January of 2009), 19,560 tons of once-run petrol (versus 19,740 tons and 19,480 tons respectively), 155,010 tons of diesel fuel (versus 155,610 tons and 191,510 tons), 4,630 tons of furnace fuel (versus 25,880 tons and 92,060 tons).

Fir the first quarter of the year it was produced 285,710 tons of motor petrol and 58,780 tons of once-run petrol, 502,130 tons of diesel fuel, 122,570 tons of furnace fuel.

In March it was manufactured 3,180 tons of kerosene and 13,080 tons of bitumen and their production for the first quarter reached 6,330 tons and 39,010 tons respectively.