Crude trickles past last June's output mark

The country's crude oil production in June 2006 was 2.82 million metric tonnes (mmt), higher by 0.01 per cent over the 2.79 mmt produced in the corresponding period last year.

Refinery output in June 2006 was 11.75 mmt, up by 10.43 per cent over the previous year's production of 10.64 mmt.

Crude oil output increased to 2.825 million tonnes in June this year from 2.792 million tonnes last year as production from Mumbai High offshore fields "" where an accident took place last year "" was back to near normal.

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation's (ONGC) Mumbai High offshore fields pumped 1.487 million tonnes of crude, the highest since a devastating fire on a crucial facility in July 2005, after which output dropped 40 per cent. Output for June from the field was a shade higher than 1.428 million tonnes crude produced in the same month last year.

Crude production was almost flat at 8.434 million tonnes in the April-June quarter. The 18 public and private sector refineries in the country produced 11.75 million tonnes of petroleum products in June against 10.641 million tonnes in the same period the previous year. Reliance Industries' Jamnagar refinery output rose 4.5 per cent to 2.96 million tonnes.

Refineries operated at 107.9 per cent of the capacity in June, with Reliance leading the pack with operations at 109.1 per cent of the 33 million tonnes-a-year capacity.

During April-June, refinery production was up 11.8 per cent to 34.226 million tonnes, about one-fifth of which was exported. Refineries operated at 103.6 per cent of the capacity.

Natural gas production was flat at 1,899 million cubic metres in June, data revealed. In the first quarter, gas output was up by a percentage point to 5,752 million cubic metres.