Khaldon Azhari

TOKYO: The total crude oil Japan imported in January amounted to 84.423 million barrels with 94.4% (or 79.721 million barrels oil) of that amount came from the five GCC countries of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, according to data from the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Saudi Arabia retained its position as the largest source, providing 43.9 percent, or 37.095 million barrels, an increase over the previous month of December. It was followed by the UAE with 34.2 percent, or 28.854 million barrels. 

Next was Kuwait with ten percent or 8.448 million barrels, and Qatar with 4.6 percent, or 3.875 million barrels, of the total. The Sultanate of Oman provided 1.2 percent, 998.578 thousand barrels. 449.691 thousand barrels came from the Neutral Zone bordering Saudia Arabia and Kuwait.

The remainder of imported oil in January came from the US at 2.6 percent, Central and South America supplied 1.6 percent and Malaysia and Indonesia each supplied 0.2 percent with Oceania supplying the final 0.1 percent of the total.

A marked change in January was resumption of imports from Russia who provided 0.9 percent, or 747.647 thousand barrels of the total oil imported. However, Japanese companies continued to boycott Iranian oil following the sanctions imposed by the USA on that country.

Japan uses oil to generate about a third of its energy needs, with the figures above representing the quantities of oil that reached refineries, tanks and warehouses in ports in Japan during January.