Crude oil production increase in MAy 2006

New Delhi, June 21 (UNI) Crude oil and gas production increased in May 2006 going beyond the set targets, official figures today said.

Crude oil production went up 0.7 per cent at 2.858 million metric tonnes (mmt) higher than the target of 2.839 mmt. However crude oil production in April-May 2006 went down marginally by 0.3 per cent registering a shortfall of 5.610 mmt against the planned target of 5.628 mmt.

Meanwhile gas production was higher by 5.9 per cent from the target of 2619 million metric tonnes at 2773 mmt. For April-May, 2006 the production saw an increase of 6.6 per cent an increase of 5481 mmt in actual production higher than the planned target of 5144 mmt.

State- run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) exceeded its set target of 2.155 mmt to 2.214 mmt a surplus of 2.7 per cent.

However Oil India Ltd (OIL) went down by 8.9 per cent from a planned target of 0.291 mmt to 0.265 mmt. This was due to repeated blockades by local people in Assam and agitation by contract labourers of OIL.

ONGC's gas production was higher by 10.4 per cent from its target of 1804 Million Cubic Meters (mcm) producing 1991 mcm.

OIL's gas production was also up at 1.6 per cent higher than the target of 188 mcm, producing 191 mcm.

The refinery production in terms of crude throughput in May 2006 was higher by 0.4 per cent higher at 11.582 mmt from the planned target of 11.531.

The crude throughput of April-May 2006 was higher by 5.0 per cent than the planned target of 21.393 mmt at 22.462 mmt.

The refinery capacity utilisation for MAy 2006 was 102.9 per cent compared to 95.6 per cent in May 2005.

UNI/RT ARB KP1942