Domestic gasoline sales in Brazil set a record in December as the country's economic boom generated strong demand, state-run energy giant Petroleo Brasileiro (PBR, PETR4.BR), or Petrobras, said Wednesday.

Petrobras said that it sold an average of 399,000 barrels a day of gasoline, topping the previous record set in March. For 2010, gasoline sales increased 17.8% compared with 2009, the company added.

"The outlook for coming months points toward continued heated sales, a function of the larger fleet of light vehicles on record auto sales in 2010 and the inter-harvest period for sugar cane," Petrobras said in a filing with stock regulators.

Higher sugar prices have caused ethanol prices to climb in recent months, making gasoline more attractive to drivers of Brazil 's flex-fuel fleet of cars and trucks.

Aviation fuel sales also set a record in December, thanks to greater numbers of Brazilians traveling via airplane, Petrobras said.

The company sold an average of 119,000 barrels of aviation fuel per day, a 4.9% increase from the previous record set in July. Aviation fuel sales were up 16.6% in 2010 compared with 2009, Petrobras said.

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