MOSCOW (Commodity Online) : Russia’s top statistics body Rosstat said country’s crude oil output including gas condensate expanded 0.8%, year-on-year in January-October 2009 to 3 billion barrels.

In a statement issued here it said, in October, crude production grew 2.4%, year-on-year, and declined 3.8%, month-on-month.

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Russia's oil output declined 0.7% in 2008 from a year earlier to 3.58 billion barrels.

The Economic Development Ministry projects oil production to amount to about 488 million metric tons in 2009, 3.56 billion barrels in 2010, 3.54 billion barrels in 2011 and to stabilize at this level in 2012.

Oil exports are expected to hit 1.79 billion barrels in 2009, 1.78-1.8 billion barrels in 2010, 1.76-1.81 billion barrels in 2011 and 1.74-1.79 billion barrels in 2012.

Russia's natural gas production declined 17.2% year-on-year in January-October 2009 to 457 billion cubic meters, Rosstat said.
In October, gas output in Russia grew 24.4%, month-on-month, and declined 0.2%, year-on-year, Rosstat said.

Rosstat's data slightly differs from the figures earlier announced by the Energy Ministry, which reported that natural gas output had dropped 16.7% year-on-year in January-October to 460.3 billion cubic meters, with gas exports down 21.3% to 123.64 billion cubic meters.

The Energy Ministry forecasts natural gas output in Russia to hit 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.