HOW BECAME SPAIN OF FUEL IMPORTER TO FUEL EXPORTER

Foreign trade is the engine of economic recovery in Spain. And the oil companies operating in our country are playing a very important role. Spain has gone from being an importer to being an exporter of fuels, mainly petrol and diesel.

iCustoms24, customs agency experts in foreign trade, tell us about this change of scenery that has transformed Spain, becoming an importer of crude oil in 2011 to a prominent exporter today. Consider the analysis of this customs agency.

This is especially important because it reduces the historical energy dependence and contributes to reduce the oil trade balance in 2012 recorded a deficit of 45,501 million Euros.

This fact is especially important because it reduces the historical energy dependence and contributes to reduce the oil trade balance in 2012 recorded a deficit of 45,501 million euros.

This change was mainly caused by the enormous efficiency achieved in the Spanish refiners Repsol (Bilbao, La Coruna, Tarragona, Puertollano and Cartagena), Cepsa (Tenerife, Huelva and Cadiz) and BP (Castellón) after several years of high investment reaching 10,000 million Euros. Although to a lesser extent, it has also influenced the decline in domestic consumption, which adds annual average falls of 7%.

The total balance of foreign trade of petroleum products has been turned upside down in the last two years. If it was negative in 2011 at 9.87 million tons, and in 2012 was positive 0.57 million and in the first five months of 2013 has already soared to 2.81 million tons.

 

GAS OILS

The most significant case is that of gasoil. The foreign trade balance of this product was negative 6.16 million tons in 2011 and only 0.50 million tons in 2012. However, in the first five months of this year, the balance is already positive 0,59 million tons.

Our country has been a traditional importer of diesel fuels, especially since in the 90’s fever broke out for cars with diesel engines. At present, the fleet is stabilized at 60% of diesel vehicles and 40% gasoline.

As for gasoline, Spain has always been exporting, since our refineries were prepared almost exclusively to produce this fuel has been steadily increasing every year this fuel sales abroad. If in 2004 the balance was positive in 1.84 million tons in 2006 was 2.93 million and 3.29 million in 2012.

 

GASOLINE TO US

United States was the main destination of exports of gasoline from our country (1.42 million tons) in 2012. The Netherlands were 0.39 million to 0.16 million and Portugal to Algeria 0.15 million tons. With liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) have also became from importer to exporter. The key to this change in the trade balance of petroleum products is in Spanish refineries, at the highest level and in accordance with the strictest environmental requirements of the EU. Some, such as Cartagena and Bilbao, are among the best in Europe. In fact, the expansion of the Cartagena refinery Repsol has been, with 3.100 million, the largest industrial investment in Spain.