May 3, 2006	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 4, 1427

MOSCOW, May 2: Russian crude oil production rose by 2.2 per cent in the January-April period this year compared to the same months last year while gas production went up 1.8 per cent in the same period, official data said on Tuesday.

Oil production reached 155.7 million barrels in the period, or an average of 9.44 million barrels a day, according to figures from the energy ministry cited by Russian news agencies.

LUKOIL, which has pumped 29.25 million barrels since the start of the year, remains the country’s largest producer, followed by the Russian group Rosneft with the Anglo-Russian group TNK-BP in third place.

Gas production for the first four months of this year was 229.66 billion cubic metres, 1.8 per cent more than in the same period last year.

The Russian finance ministry meanwhile said on Tuesday it would raise export tax on crude oil exports to a record $199.8 per ton from June 1.—AFP