China Petroleum & Chemical Corp, Asia's top oil refiner, will increase oil processing at its second-biggest refinery by 1.6 percent next month to meet rising summer demand.
Oil processing volume at the Maoming refinery in the southern province of Guangdong will rise to 1.05 million tons in July, or 247,258 barrels a day, from 243,333 barrels a day, Cai Zhan, the plant's spokesman, said by mobile phone on Wednesday.
Oil-product demand typically rises in China, the world's second-biggest energy user, between July and September as school holidays prompt increased use of transport fuels including diesel and gasoline.
Sinopec, as China Petroleum is known, ran the Maoming plant at its full capacity of about 270,000 barrels a day in July and August 2009, Cai said on Aug 26 last year.
Demand isn't too strong right now as compared with previous years, Cai said on Wednesday, without elaborating.>
