us crude imports in april down 2.5%vs year ago

US Crude Imports in April Down 2.5% Vs Year Ago

06-16-2008

U.S. crude oil imports in April rose 3% from March, but were 2.5% below a year-ago, preliminary data from the Energy Information Administration released Friday show.

At 9.921 million barrels a day, crude imports were the most in any month since January, but were the lowest in April since 2006.

For the 26th straight month, Canada was the top source of crude imports for the U.S., the world's biggest oil consumer. Shipments from Canada averaged 1.952 million barrels a day, up 8.7% from a month ago and the most since September 2007.

Top 10 rankings were largely unchanged, but for Brazil ranking as the 9th biggest supplier, displacing Ecuador which ranked 11th, in a reversal of month- earlier slots.

Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, was the second biggest source of U.S. crude imports in April, at 1.453 million barrels a day, down 0.5% from March and little changed from a year ago, but the lowest level since October 2007.

Mexico ranked as the third biggest crude supplier, with volumes inching up in April to 1.259 million barrels a day, the most since November 2007. Still with output falling in its major Cantarell oil field, imports were 13.8% below a year ago. March imports from Mexico were the weakest since September 2002, and down 24% from a year ago.

For the fourth straight month, Nigeria topped Venezuela as the fourth biggest crude supplier. despite a slight 0.3% month-to-month drop. Imports from Nigeria were up 25% from a year ago, but the flow remains erratic due to unrest in the Delta producing region, which has forced output cuts.

Crude imports from Venezuela rose 161,000 barrels a day on the month, to 1.019 million barrels a day, but lagged the year-ago level by nearly the same amount.

Imports from Venezuela in March were the least since February 2003, as Venezuela has banned sales to Exxon Mobil Corp. after a dispute over nationalization of oil facilities. Venezuela has said it is actively pursuing diverting exports to China, the world's second-biggest oil consumer.

EIA  - Top 10 U.S. Crude Oil Import Sources In April

                  Apr    Mar    Apr    Jan-Apr   Jan-Apr

                   08     08     07     08        07

Canada          1.952  1.795   1.909   1.902    1.846

Saudi Arabia    1.453  1.535   1.458   1.519    1.358

Mexico          1.259  1.232   1.460   1.230    1.471

Nigeria         1.115  1.154   0.891   1.105    1.089

Venezuela       1.019  0.858   1.182   0.990    1.070

Iraq            0.679  0.773   0.562   0.693    0.488

Angola          0.579  0.384   0.514   0.469    0.556

Algeria         0.393  0.247   0.530   0.300    0.495

Brazil          0.201  0.188   0.175   0.182    0.174

Kuwait          0.176  0.199   0.126   0.218    0.187