US dependence on imported petroleum climbed in June, with net imports of crude and refined products averaging 8.184 million b/d, according to data released Thursday by the Energy Information Administration.
June's net imports were about 3% higher than those in May and 11% higher than a 16-year-low set in April, when net imports dropped to 7.37 million b/d.
But the June figure still reflects the long-term trend of falling dependence on imported oil as the US pumps more of its own crude and cranks out distillates to send overseas.
June's net imports of crude and products were 11% lower than those in June 2011 and 19% lower than those in June 2010, according to EIA's latest Petroleum Supply Monthly.
Net exports of refined products have retreated from an all-time high set in December, when they reached 1.261 million b/d.
In June, the US recorded net product exports of 871,000 b/d, about 3% less than May's 901,000 b/d but 2,100% higher than the 38,000 b/d of net exports in June 2011.
Total exports of refined products rose to 3.163 million b/d, up 1% from May.
ULSD exports, one of the chief drivers of the year's trend of surging distillates exports, fell 10% to 751,000 b/d in June, a month after setting an all-time high of 834,000 b/d.
Most of the ULSD exports headed to Europe and Latin America.
ULSD shipments to the Netherlands jumped 59% to 247,000 b/d, while exports to France fell 20% to 79,000 b/d. In Latin America, exports to Mexico fell 28% to 82,000 b/d and shipments to Chile fell 39% to 79,000 b/d.
