Refinery production of petroleum products totalled 8,700.7 thousand cubic metres in May, down 14.5 % from the same month a year earlier. The largest volumetric decreases were seen in motor gasoline (-646.5 thousand cubic metres or -18. %) and diesel fuel oil (-382.3 thousand cubic metres or -17.1 %). This decrease in total production was the result of a month long maintenance turn-around at a major Eastern Canada refinery. Year-to-date production decreased 5.2 % from a year earlier.

Crude oil and equivalent receipts by refineries totalled 7,465.0 thousand cubic metres in May, down 1,287.9 thousand cubic metres or 14.7 % from a year earlier. Receipts of domestic crude oils at 4,156.1 thousand cubic metres were down 181.4 thousand cubic metres or 4.2 % from the previous year. Imported crude oils at 3,308.9 thousand cubic metres accounting for 44.3% of total refinery receipts were down 1,106.5 thousand cubic metres or 25.1 % from the previous year. Year-to-date receipts decreased 7.9 % from the same period a year earlier.

Domestic sales of refined petroleum products in May totalled 8,332.7 thousand cubic metres, down 2.5 % from a year earlier but sales were up 9.8 % from the previous month. Motor gasoline sales, representing 42 % of all product sales, totalled 3,502.3 thousand cubic metres. This represented an increase of 38.4 thousand cubic metres or 1.1% from a year earlier. Diesel fuel oil sales at 2,302.1 thousand cubic metres increased by 32.4 thousand cubic metres or 1.4 %. Year-to-date sales for all refined products totalled 39,977.0 thousand cubic metres, down 3.3% from the same period in 2005.

Refined petroleum product inventories at 9,622.2 thousand cubic metres were down by 638.3 thousand cubic metres or 6.2 % from a year earlier. Inventories were down 638.3 thousand cubic metres or 6.2% from the previous month.