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Australia's international trade in energy products
In 1998-99, about 71% of total energy production in Australia was exported (8,815 PJ) (table 15.9). The largest contributors were black coal (55% of total energy exports) and uranium (32%). Crude oil and natural gas contributed 6% and 5%, respectively. Total energy exports (primary plus secondary) increased by 30% between 1990-91 and 1998-99. Among primary exports, those of black coal increased by 50% over this period, while uranium exports showed a slight overall decrease (by about 2%). Exports of uranium had dropped sharply in 1992-93 but showed strong growth in subsequent years. Natural gas exports showed a large increase (130%) over this period.
Imports of energy products are relatively small by comparison (1,287 PJ in 1998-99) and are dominated by crude oil. Imports of this product almost doubled between 1990-91 and 1998-99. Graph 15.10 shows the sharp contrast between exports of energy products from and imports of these products into Australia over more than 25 years.
15.9 ENERGY PRODUCTS, Exports and Imports by Volume (Peta Joules)
|
| Exports | | Imports |
|
| |
|
| 1990-91 | 1994-95 | 1998-99 | | 1990-91 | 1994-95 | 1998-99 |
Fuel |
PJ
|
PJ
|
PJ
| |
PJ
|
PJ
|
PJ
|
|
Primary energy products - | | | | | | | |
- Black coal | 3,217.0 | 3,882.8 | 4,821.8 | | - | - | - |
- Crude oil and ORF | 326.4 | 423.5 | 528.5 | | 518.2 | 798.7 | 1,150.6 |
- LPG | 40.0 | 31.5 | 65.9 | | 0.9 | 6.7 | 12.6 |
- Natural gas | 185.0 | 381.8 | 425.4 | | - | - | - |
- Uranium | 2,879.7 | 1,912.4 | 2,814.8 | | - | - | - |
Total | 6,648.1 | 6,632.0 | 8,656.4 | | 519.1 | 805.4 | 1,163.2 |
Secondary energy products - | | | | | | | |
- Automotive gasoline | 10.8 | 22.2 | 52.3 | | 20.0 | 20.7 | 30.5 |
- Aviation gasoline | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.5 | | - | - | 1.4 |
- Aviation turbine fuel | 11.8 | 10.4 | 20.1 | | 3.8 | 8.5 | 5.2 |
- Kerosene | 2.5 | 5.3 | 1.1 | | 1.3 | - | 0.2 |
- Gas oil or fuel oil | 69.8 | 59.8 | 57.9 | | 58.6 | 68.3 | 79.7 |
- Other petroleum products(a) | 17.3 | 27.4 | 21.6 | | 22.3 | 22.4 | 6.5 |
- Coke | 22.6 | 8.0 | 1.9 | | - | - | - |
Total | 136.9 | 134.5 | 157.4 | | 106.0 | 119.9 | 123.5 |
Total | 6,785.0 | 6,766.5 | 8,813.8 | | 625.1 | 925.3 | 1,286.7 |
|
(a) Also includes lubes and greases, bitumen. |
Source: ABARE, electronic datasets. |
The large volumes of exported energy products also contribute significantly to Australia's export earnings. Table 15.11 shows that the export of energy products contributed about 16% towards Australia's total export earnings in 1998-99, down from 20% in 1990-91. Black coal accounts for by far the largest share of the total value of energy exports (66%), followed by crude oil (13%) and liquid natural gas (10%). Uranium contributes only 2% of the total value of energy exports.
Imports of energy products (mainly crude oil) made up only 5% of the total value of imports in 1998-99.
15.11 ENERGY PRODUCTS, Exports and Imports by Value |
|
| Exports | | Imports |
|
| |
|
| 1990-91 | 1994-95 | 1998-99 | | 1990-91 | 1994-95 | 1998-99 |
Fuel |
$m
|
$m
|
$m
| |
$m
|
$m
|
$m
|
|
Black coal(a) | 6,358 | 6,873 | 9,239 | | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Crude oil and ORF(b) | 1,795 | 1,726 | 1,881 | | 2,407 | 3,002 | 3,794 |
LPG | 175 | 154 | 297 | | 6 | 36 | 64 |
Liquid natural gas (LNG) | 830 | 1,201 | 1,425 | | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Uranium | 332 | 188 | 288 | | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Automotive gasoline | (c) | (c) | (c) | | 156 | 112 | 134 |
Diesel fuel(d) | (c) | (c) | (c) | | 125 | 141 | 225 |
Other refinery products | 787 | 719 | 866 | | 441 | 381 | 312 |
Total energy products | 10,277 | 10,861 | 13,996 | | 3,135 | 3,672 | 4,529 |
Total trade in goods and services | 52,399 | 67,052 | 85,992 | | 48,912 | 74,619 | 97,611 |
|
(a) Coking plus steaming.
(b) Other refinery feedstock.
(c) Included in Other refinery products.
(d) Includes automotive diesel oil and industrial and marine diesel fuel for 1994-95 and 1998-99. Includes only automotive diesel oil for 1990-91. |
Source: ABARE 1997, 1998, 2000. |