BENGALURU: Indian refiners’ crude throughput fell by 0.2percent month-on-month in January to 5.63 million barrels per day (23.81 million metric tons), provisional government data showed on Monday. Refinery throughput in December was at 5.64 million barrels per day (23.86 million metric tons). On a year-on-year basis, refinery throughput was little changed in January. India is the world’s third-biggest oil importer and consumer. Data showed that India’s fuel consumption fell to 21.05 million metric tons in January from 21.71 million the previous month but gained nearly 3percent compared with the same period last year. Earlier this month, an Indian foreign ministry spokesperson said that India is open to buying oil from nations, including Venezuela, depending on commercial viability. The United States, which threatened to impose tariffs on India last year for buying Venezuelan oil, has told Delhi it can resume those purchases soon to help replace imports of Russian oil, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters in early February.