May 17 (Reuters) - China's refinery output fell 3.3% over a year earlier in April, the first annual decline in over 1-1/2-years, as large refiners entered regular maintenance season and small independent plants curbed production due to thin margins.
National refinery throughput was 58.79 million metric tons, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Friday, equivalent to 14.3 million barrels per day (bpd).
That's down versus 15.09 million bpd in March and 14.45 million in the January-February period.
The 3.3% fall was the first year-on-year decline since August 2022 according to Reuters' records of NBS data.
Throughput for the January-April period inched up 1.1% over the corresponding period last year at 241.26 million tons, or 14.56 million bpd, the data showed, supported by a broad economic recovery and as more people travel, lifting gasoline and aviation fuel use.
NBS data also showed China's crude oil production in April was 1.3% higher than a year earlier at 17.47 million tons, about 4.25 million bpd. Year-to-date, output was up 2.1% on year at 70.95 million tons, or 4.28 million bpd.
Natural gas production grew 3.2% last month to 19.8 billion cubic meters(bcm).
(metric ton= 7.3 barrels for crude oil conversion)
(Reporting by Chen Aizhu; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
