Russian oil exports up 17.7% in Jan. 2007, y-o-y
Russia's oil exports to non-CIS countries reached 19.32 million metric tons (more than 144 million barrels) in January 2007, up 17.7%, year-on-year, the Industry and Energy Ministry said Tuesday according to RIA Novosti.
The ministry said oil exports to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), a loose association of former Soviet republics, especially to Belarus, fell by 27.8%, to 2.26 million tons (some 17 million barrels).
Belarus imposed a transit levy of $45 per metric ton of crude after Moscow doubled the price of natural gas and introduced a duty on oil supplies to Belarus as of January 1.
The ministry also said oil production grew by 4.4%, natural gas by 0.5%, coal by 4.8% and electricity at hydroelectric power plants by 16.2% in January 2007.
But the production of electricity at nuclear power plants fell by 4.4%.
The production of oil with gas condensate stood at 41.65 million tons (311 million barrels) in January, adding that LUKoil, Rosneft, TNK-BP, Surgutneftegaz and Gazprom Neft boasted the largest production volumes.
Russia's industrial output grew by 8.4% in January 2007, year-on-year, the ministry said.
Manufacturing increased by 17.3%, food industry by 24.6%, production of leather and shoes by 33.8% and building materials by 36.3%
The ministry said manufacturing growth is caused by a slow increase in the production of mineral resources (4.2%) and the reduced production of water, electricity and gas due to the unusually warm weather.