China oil consumption seen rising again

China's oil consumption in 2012 increased by 5 percent year-on-year to over 10 million barrels per day, according to a report released Tuesday by oil and gas producer BP Group.

China is now the world's largest energy consumer, and the increasing number of people buying cars is the major reason behind the rapid growth of oil consumption, Christof Rühl, BP Group chief economist, said at a press conference in Beijing.

China accounted for 25 percent of the world's total car sales in 2012, up from 2 percent in 1992, according to the report.

Coal also plays a vital role in C­hina's energy structure. The report said that in 2012 China for the first time accounted for over 50 percent of the world's total coal consumption, using around 3.62 billion tons.

Meanwhile, oil consumption by members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development declined in 2012, the sixth drop in the past seven years, the report said.

At the same time, US dependence on foreign oil has kept declining, thanks to the country's growing oil and natural gas production.

In 2005, the US imported about the same amount of oil as the EU, but its oil imports are now two-thirds of those of the EU.