Crude oil production goes down by 4.5 per cent in November

New Delhi, Dec 21 (UNI) The country's crude oil production went down by 4.5 per cent from the proposed target set for last month mainly due to less than anticipated gains from new exploratory wells of ONGC and blocades by miscreants in Upper Asom.

This shortfall was also witnessed during the time period between April-November 2006 at 2.8 per cent.

The planned target last month was 2.953 million metric tonnes (MMTs) an the actual production was 2.821 MMTs.

While the planned target for the April-Novemeber 2006 has been 23.217 MMTs but the actual production has been 22.567 MMts.

Some of the main reasons attributed in an official statement has said that ONGC, Gujarat power station was shutdown, while ONGC Asom was mired in Environmental reasons.

ONGC, Tamil Nadu has less than anticipated gain from new exploratory wells.

OIL India limited's production was hit due to repeated blockades by locals at Khargorijan, Barekuri, Chauba in upper Asom.

However the crude throughput of IOC (Guwahati, Barauni, Koyalu, Haldia and Mathura), BPCL (Mumbai), HPCL (Mumbai and Vizag), CPCL (Manalai), MRPL (Mangalore), ONGC (Tatipaka) and RPL (Jamnagar) Refineries have exceeded their planned target during the month (November 2006) under review.

However the crude throughput in IOC (Digboi and Panipat), KRL (Kochi), CPCL (Narimanam) BR and PL (Asom) ANRL (Numaligarh) refineries was less than the target.

The natural gas production was marginally higher at 0.5 per cent, up from the planned target of 2,560 million cubic meters to 2663 Million cubic meters.

UNI/RT SRS VV1544