China produced 13.32-mil mt of gasoil in September 2011, down by 3.31% from the previous month, according to the data from the National Bureau of Statistics.
The month-on-month drop was in tandem with a moderate decline in the country's crude throughput, the NBS data showed. Domestic refineries' operation rates were low in the month because of maintenance.
Because of less output and stronger demand in September, gasoil wholesale supply became tight and wholesale prices rose to levels flat to or even above retail ones.
Despite the month-on-month drop, China's gasoil output in September rose by 1.84% year on year, the data showed. Its output in the first nine months of this year grew by 6.96% from the same period in 2010.
The country's gasoil output is expected to rebound moderately in October, thanks to higher refinery operation rates after maintenance.
