MOSCOW, August 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's oil output increased 1.4%, year-on-year, in July to 41.92 million metric tons (307 million barrels), the Russian Energy Ministry said on Monday.
With the July 1.4% increment, Russia's oil output increased 0.3% in January-July 2009, year-on-year, to 284.52 million metric tons (2.09 billion barrels), the ministry said.
Year-on-year, Russian crude exports declined 0.6% in July to 19.17 million metric tons (140.5 million barrels) and increased 1.1% in the first seven months of the year to 141.59 million metric tons (1.04 billion barrels), the ministry said.
Russia's oil output declined 0.7% in 2008 from a year earlier to 488 million metric tons (3.58 billion barrels). The Economic Development Ministry projects oil production to amount to about 488 million metric tons in 2009, 485 million metric tons (3.56 billion barrels) in 2010, 483 million metric tons (3.54 billion barrels) in 2011 and stabilize at this level in 2012.
Oil exports are expected to hit 245.5 million metric tons (1.79 billion barrels) in 2009, 243-246 million metric tons (1.78-1.8 billion barrels) in 2010, 241-247 million metric tons (1.76-1.81 billion barrels) in 2011 and 238-245 million metric tons (1.74-1.79 billion barrels) in 2012.
Russia's natural gas production declined 20.2% in January-July 2009, year-on-year, to 315.93 billion cubic meters while natural gas exports fell 37.2% to 73.62 billion cubic meters, the ministry said.
Gazprom's natural gas output in the first seven months of the year contracted 24.6% to 248.92 billion cubic meters, the ministry said.
In July 2009, natural gas output in Russia declined 16.2% from a year earlier to 41.42 billion cubic meters, with Gazprom's production falling 19.9% to 32.14 billion cubic meters, the ministry said.
Natural gas exports grew 15.6% in July to 15.1 billion cubic meters, the ministry said.
Russia's Economic Development Ministry expects natural gas production to reach 620-644 billion cubic meters in 2009, 596 billion cubic meters in 2010, 610 billion cubic meters in 2011 and 621 billion cubic meters in 2012.
Russia's coal output declined 14.1% in January-June 2009 from a year earlier to 160.8 million metric tons while coal exports fell 2.6% to 53.95 million metric tons, the ministry said.
