Singapore (Platts)--14Nov2012/239 am EST/739 GMT

Tokyo Gas, Japan's largest gas company, posted gas sales of 1.029 billion cubic meters in October, up 9.5%, or 89.5 million cu meters, from the same month last year, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

September gas sales were recorded at 1.024 Bcm.

Gas sales to the industrial sector posted the largest gain, up 26.5% from October 2011 to 506 million cu m, due to additional demand arising from new trunk lines coming online and increased gas demand for power generation.

Wholesale supply to other gas companies in October also gained 6.9% from a year ago to 173 million cu m.

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The overall year-on-year gain in gas sales by Tokyo Gas were offset by sales declines to the residential and business sectors.

Gas demand from the residential sector fell 13.3% from October 2011 to 153 million cu m due to higher monthly average temperatures in September and October, which reduced usage of gas for water heating.

The business sector, comprising commercial, public and medical users, accounted for 196 million cu m of the gas sales in October, down 2.1% year-on-year.

This drop was due to "fewer metering days compared to those last year, although higher two-month average temperatures in September and October 2012 than a year earlier led to the increased demand for air-conditioning," according to the statement.

Tokyo Gas' gas sales volume over April to October totaled 7.46 Bcm, up 3.7% from the same period last year.

--Chloe Hang, chloe_hang@platts.com --Edited by Robert DiNardo, robert_dinardo@platts.com

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