Japan crude imports to rise on extra demand

Japan’s crude oil demand is expected to rise on year in August as refiners are likely to step up imports to meet extra demand from utilities for sweet crude and low-sulfur C-fuel oil after Tokyo Electric Power Co. (9501.TO) shut its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant last week following a strong earthquake.
This may provide a substantial boost to Japan’s crude demand for several months or even longer, analysts said.
Marketwatch