Secondary distributors of refined petroleum products sold 23.9 billion litres in Canada in 2021, up 1.3% from 2020. The refined petroleum products sold included motor gasoline (51.0%), diesel fuel oil (42.0%), light fuel oil (4.7%), and heavy fuel oil (2.3%).
Motor gasoline
Secondary distributors sold 12.2 billion litres of motor gasoline to end-users in 2021, an increase of 3.0% compared with the previous year. Gasoline stations (90.5%) received the bulk of the sales.
Approximately two-thirds (66.0%) of the sales were in Ontario and Quebec, while the rest of Canada made up the remaining one-third.
Diesel fuel oil
In 2021, secondary distributors sold 9.9 billion litres of diesel fuel oil to end users, which was relatively unchanged (+0.1%) compared with the previous year. The key customer types included gasoline stations (34.4%), agriculture (15.6%), other commercial and institutional customers (14.7%), road transport and support activities (10.8%), and construction (9.0%).
Sales in Ontario and Quebec accounted for just over half (50.4%) of diesel fuel oil sales to end users in 2021.
Light fuel oil
Secondary distributors sold 1.1 billion litres of light fuel oil to end users in 2021, down 4.0% from 2020. Approximately three-quarters (75.7%) of the light fuel oil sold was to residential customers.
Customers in the Atlantic provinces (37.0%), Quebec (37.2%), and Ontario (17.4%) purchased most of the light fuel oil.
Note to readers
Secondary distributors of refined petroleum products are commercial entities that act as buyers and resellers between the suppliers and end users of these products.
Secondary distributors include wholesalers and dealers of refined petroleum products.
The Annual Survey of Secondary Distributors of Refined Petroleum Products collects data on sales of motor gasoline, diesel fuel oil, light fuel oil, heavy fuel oil, and propane.
Data on propane were collected for the first time in 2020, and these data are available upon request. Additionally, data on fuel sales to a broader range of industrial end users are also available upon request.
The agriculture industry includes farmers, hunters, trappers, and support activities.
These values represent sales to end users and do not include sales to other wholesalers.
Data are subject to revisions.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).