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Table IX presents the changes in market shares of

direct and independent marketer distribution channels by
type of refiner from 1972 to 1975. The market share
trends are shown in more detail by quarter in Table X
and Figure III-12. These figures show that the
distribution of distillates to independent marketers
by refiners follows a seasonal pattern peaking in the
first and fourth quarters (winter) of each year. This
distribution pattern coincides with the demand for
heating oil, the market segment dominated by independent
marketers (see Table VI).

There has been a shift since 1972 in refiner marketing
away from direct sales to consumers and toward increased
distribution through independent marketers. The increase
in refiner supplies to independent marketers has been
most pronounced among the large integrated refiners.
These refiners increased their sales to independent marketers
from 52.1 percent of their sales in 1972 to 57.3 percent
in 1975 (see Table IX). Large independent and small
refiners, on the other hand, have increased their relative
distribution of branded product but reduced their supplies
of nonbranded product from 38.1 percent of their sales
in 1972 to 34.5 percent in 1975.

Nationally, branded independent home heating and
diesel marketers of both the large integrated and other

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refiners have fared well since 1972. An increasing percentage of refiner volume has gone to this

independent sector for the last four years.

Nonbranded product supplies to independent marketers have not grown at the same rate as branded product. While large integrated refiners have increased their supplies of nonbranded product to independents since 1972, large independent and small refiners generally have decreased their nonbranded supplies to independents during the same period.

The decline in direct marketing by refiners has occurred primarily in No. 2 heating oil and diesel fuel oil. For these other fuels, which constitute about 20 percent of total middle distillates sales, refiners increased their direct marketing slightly from 50.8 percent in 1972 to 51.7 percent in 1975. Table XI shows in detail the annual volume and percentage market share of each distribution channel for No. 2 distillate fuel oil and for other middle distillate fuels. Tables XII and XIII show the market shares of the large integrated refiners versus the independent and small refiners, and show that the independent and small refiners increased their share of other middle distillate fuel sales

at the refiner level at the expense of large integrated refiners from 1972 to 1975.

• Numbers may not sum to total due to rounding