Demand and Consumption

Due to logistics and transportation costs, crude oil imports satisfy about 35% of domestic refinery demand. Refineries in western Canada run domestically produced crude oil, while refineries in Quebec and the Atlantic provinces run primarily imported crude oil. Refineries in Ontario run a mix of both imported and domestically produced crude oil.

On average, Ontario and Quebec account for about 55% per cent of the gasoline consumed in Canada. The western provinces account for about 36% of Canada's gasoline consumption, while the remaining 9% of gasoline is consumed in the Atlantic provinces and the Territories.

On average, Ontario and Quebec account for about 47% of the diesel fuel consumed in Canada, while the western provinces account for about 44%. The relatively greater dependence on diesel in western Canada reflects regional differences in fleet composition and the comparatively greater need to truck in most manufactured goods to the West from outside the region.