Imports of crude oil by Japan, the world's largest consumer after the U.S. and China, rose for the second month in November, up 15.6 percent from a year earlier.

The country brought in 21.4 million kiloliters (4.49 million barrels a day) of oil last month, the Ministry of Finance said in a trade report released in Tokyo today. By value, oil imports surged 50.7 percent to 1.24 trillion yen ($10.9 billion), the ministry said. Imports of liquefied natural gas rose 11.9 percent last month.

The growth in oil imports comes as Japanese refiners raise their output of kerosene, the most common heating fuel in the world's second-biggest economy. Power utilities burn more natural gas and coal at their thermal plants as demand for electricity rises in winter.

Imports of oil products, a category that includes gasoline and naphtha, fell 12.4 percent to 2.52 million kiloliters. LNG imports grew last month to 5.57 million metric tons, while liquefied petroleum gas imports increased 4.6 percent to 1.07 million tons. Coal imports grew 12.9 percent in November to 15.9 million tons.

Japan's kerosene demand typically peaks in December. Households also use natural gas and LPG for cooking and heating, while manufacturers burn gas for in-house boilers and power generators at factories.