Russia: ex-Soviet sees increase in gas output over September, but no recovery yet from a dip over last year.
Russia sees boost in output
Russia’s gas output rose over 15% to 1.76 billion cubic metres in October, according to data released by the Energy Ministry.
Crude production set a new record of over 10 million barrels per day, Reuters reported today.
Pipeline oil exports rose 3.4% to 4.24 million bpd from 4.1 million bpd in September.
State-owned Gazprom produced 1.45 billion cubic metres per day of gas in October, up from 1.20 bcm per day in September 2009 but down by 1.4% down from 1.47 bcm in October 2008.
Gazprom has not fully recovered from the economic downturn and pricing row with Kiev last January when Europe was cut off from Russia's gas supplies through Ukraine for almost two weeks, according to Reuters.
On Sunday, Russian Prime minister Vladimir Putin warned the European Union president Sweden of a possible new gas crisis due to problems over energy payments from Ukraine.
Gazprom says it will take a few years to return to the levels of gas consumption seen prior to the financial crisis.