China end-December crude oil stocks down 3.9 percent on month

BEIJING (Reuters) - China's commercial crude oil inventories at the end of December fell 3.9 percent from

the previous month, while refined fuel stocks rose 4 percent from end-November, the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday.

Xinhua did not provide the outright inventory volumes.

The government rarely discloses levels of either commercial or strategic oil stocks, making it difficult to gauge real demand

in the world's second-largest oil consumer.