1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2006  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 20/01/2006   
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Contents >> Chapter 17 - Energy >> International trade in energy products

INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENERGY PRODUCTS

Australia is a net exporter of coal, LPG, liquified natural gas (LNG) and uranium. In 2003-04 a total of 11,759 PJ of Australian energy products were exported, comprising 11,669 PJ of primary energy and 90 PJ of derived energy (table 17.11). In terms of energy content, the largest commodities exported were black coal (53% of total energy exports) and uranium (36%), followed by crude oil (6%) and LNG (4%). Total energy exports (primary plus derived) increased by 34% from 1998-99 to 2003-04. This increase stems almost entirely from growth during the period of exports of primary energy products, particularly uranium (up 52%) and black coal (up 29%). The major derived energy products exported in 2003-04 were aviation turbine fuel (19.5 PJ), automotive gasoline (24.8 PJ) and diesel (32.0 PJ).

In contrast, total imports of energy products are relatively small (1,295 PJ in 2003-04) (table 17.11). The majority of Australia's energy imports are the primary energy products crude oil and LPG. Together, these two commodities made up 87% of total energy imports in 2003-04. Imports of primary energy products have remained relatively constant over recent times. Derived energy imports, however, have increased substantially from 138 PJ in 1998-99 to 365 PJ in 2003-04 (up 165%).


17.11 ENERGY PRODUCTS, Volume of exports and imports

Exports
Imports


1998-99
2002-03
2003-04
1998-99
2002-03
2003-04
PJ
PJ
PJ
PJ
PJ
PJ

Primary energy products
Black coal
4,805.8
5,908.6
6,208.0
-
-
-
Crude oil and ORF(a)
528.8
810.7
679.0
1,150.5
1,082.0
909.4
LPG
63.9
82.0
75.4
12.8
7.7
20.2
LNG
425.4
425.8
430.5
-
-
-
Uranium
2,814.8
4,508.7
4,276.5
-
-
-
Total
8,638.7
11,735.8
11,669.4
1,163.3
1,089.7
929.6
Derived energy products
Automotive gasoline
52.4
36.1
24.8
30.4
57.2
110.9
Aviation gasoline
2.4
1.6
1.0
1.4
2.1
7.2
Aviation turbine fuel
20.1
23.7
19.5
5.2
15.8
24.8
ADO and IDF(b)
47.5
40.2
32.0
55.4
62.8
129.3
Fuel oil and kerosene
11.1
3.9
3.1
24.5
25.1
53.4
Other petroleum products(c)
21.1
9.0
9.3
20.8
31.9
39.7
Briquettes
1.8
7.0
-
-
-
-
Coke
-
-
-
-
-
-
Total
156.4
121.5
89.7
137.7
194.9
365.3
Total
8,795.1
11,857.3
11,759.1
1,301.0
1,284.6
1,294.9

(a) Other refinery feedstock (ORF).
(b) Automotive diesel oil (ADO) and industrial diesel fuel (IDF).
(c) Also includes lubricants and greases, bitumen and other bituminous products, solvents, waste oils and diesel.

Source: ABARE 2005b, Table J.


Graph 17.12 shows the comparison between energy exports and imports over the past 30 years. The decrease in total exports of energy products between 2000-01 and 2001-02 is largely due to a fall in uranium exports.

Graph 17.12: EXPORTS AND IMPORTS OF ENERGY PRODUCTS



Table 17.13 shows energy products contributed significantly to Australia's export earnings. In 2003-04 the export of energy products contributed about 18% towards Australia's total merchandise export earnings, up from 16% in 1998-99. Black coal accounts for the largest share of the total value of energy exports (54% in 2003-04), followed by crude oil (25%) and LNG (11%). While accounting for a third of all exports by energy content, the value of uranium exports contributed only 2% of the total value of energy exports in 2003-04. Imports of energy products (mainly crude oil) accounted for 8% of the total value of imports in 2003-04. Although the quantity of energy exports (by energy content) has increased by 34% from 1998-99 to 2003-04, the value of energy exports increased by 43%, partly due to the decline of the Australian dollar relative to the US dollar in that period.


17.13 ENERGY PRODUCTS, Value of exports and imports

Exports
Imports


1998-99
2002-03
2003-04
1998-99
2002-03
2003-04
Fuel
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m
$m

Black coal(a)
9,239
11,896
10,882
-
-
-
Crude oil and ORF(b)
1,881
6,402
5,055
3,794
8,610
6,594
LPG
297
855
647
64
76
166
LNG
1,425
2,607
2,174
-
-
-
Uranium oxide
288
427
365
-
-
-
Refinery products
866
1,198
918
804
1,974
3,428
Total of energy products
13,996
23,385
20,041
4,662
10,660
10,188
Total merchandise trade
86,000
115,479
108,848
97,623
133,129
131,012

(a) Coking plus steaming.
(b) Other refinery feedstock (ORF).

Source: International Merchandise Trade, Australia (5422.0); International Trade in Goods and Services, Australia (5368.0); ABARE 2004a.



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