Natural gas output fell 0.9%, year-on-year, to 429 billion cubic meters in the reporting period.
Ministry sources said gas production by energy giant Gazprom stood at 362 billion cubic meters in the first eight months of 2007, down 0.4% against the same period last year. The share of Gazprom subsidiaries in general natural gas output rose from 83.9% to 84.4% in January-August 2006.
The ministry also said that coal production increased 0.3% in the same period, year-on-year, to about 200 million metric tons.
Coal supplies to the domestic market stood at 118 million metric tons, up 6.6 against January-August 2006. Coal exports to non-CIS countries amounted to 57 million metric tons in the first eight months of this year, up 9.3%, year-on-year.
Russia also reported a 0.9% growth in power output in the first eight months of 2007, year-on-year, to 654 billion kWh.
In the same period, thermal power plants produced 422 billion kWh of power (down 1.9% against January-August 2006). A total of 127 billion kWh was produced at hydropower plants (up 10% year-on-year) and 104.5 billion kWh of power at nuclear power plants (up 2.6%, year-on-year).
According to preliminary data from the Industry and Energy Ministry, electricity consumption amounted to 646 billion kWh in January-August 2007, up 1.8% compared to the same period last year.
