Cambodia had imported 1.31 million tonnes of petroleum in the first 10 months of 2013, a 2 percent decline compared with the 1.34 million tonnes over the same period last year, according to the data of the Ministry of Commerce on Tuesday.
During the January-October period this year, the country spent some 1.2 billion US dollars to purchase oil, down 9 percent from 1.32 billion dollars over the same period last year, the data said.
A liter of premium gasoline goes for 1.35 dollars in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.
The country imports all oil and gas from Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand as its seabed's oil and gas reserves have not been exploited.
Cambodia has planned to construct a 5-million-tonne oil refinery under a joint venture between Cambodian Petrochemical Company and several Chinese firms, including China Perfect Machinery Industry Corporation and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec Corp).
The oil refinery project, estimated to cost 1.67 billion dollars, will be built on an 80-hectare area within the boundary of Preah Sihanouk province and Kampot province in Cambodia.
During a meeting with Cai Xiyou, senior vice president of Sinopec Corp last month, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen urged the company to expedite its process to build the oil refinery by 2018.
Cambodia's oil demand last year was 1.65 million tonnes. The Southeast Asian nation is expected to consume up to 4 million tonnes of oil a year in coming years due to rapid economic growth.
