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Sales of B- and C- type fuel oil led falls in Japan in November 2009 as the country's total oil product sales declined 4.7 percent from a year earlier, according to government data released today.

Amid a warm start to the winter, sales volumes of B- and C-type fuel oil - used mainly by large ships and utilities - nosedived 35 percent year-on-year in November.

The decrease was the most significant oil product decline last month as kerosene sales fell 14 percent and gasoline sales, which make up over a third of fuel use in the country, dropped 1.4 percent as the popularity of hybrid vehicles increased.

Total sales of petroleum products in Japan - the world's third-largest oil consumer - fell to 3.42 million barrels per day (bpd) in November, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) said.

The decline follows a 1.8 percent rise in October and was less than the 7 percent drop forecast by news agency Reuters.