Global refinery crude runs are expected to resume annual growth in the third quarter, after the second quarter runs were at about the same level as a year ago, the International Energy Agency said in its monthly oil market report Wednesday.

Expected lower runs in China due to high crude oil prices and maintenance, and the closure of Taiwan 's Mailiao refinery, one of the largest in the world, following a fire "offset a stronger-than-expected rebound in Japanese crude runs in July, and a slightly more optimistic view of European and FSU [former Soviet Union ] throughputs," the IEA said.

It left the third quarter forecast unchanged at 75.9 million barrels a day, 500,000 barrels a day more than in the same period a year ago.

Meanwhile, the second quarter runs were revised up by 110,000 barrels a day, mainly due to record-high Russian throughputs in June. Runs for the three months ended June 30 are only 60,000 barrels a day above a year earlier, the IEA said.

Annual growth in global runs both in the second and third quarters are below average annual growth of more than 2 million barrels a day in the previous four quarters, the IEA said.

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