MOSCOW, May 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's natural gas output reached 234.3 billion cubic meters in the first four months of 2008, up 1.4% against the same period of last year, the Economics Ministry said on Friday.

State-controlled gas monopoly Gazprom produced 199.1 billion cubic meters in the reporting period, up 1.7% year-on-year. Oil-producing companies and independent gas producers produced 35.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

According to preliminary estimates, Russian consumers received 165.2 billion cubic meters of gas in the first four months of 2008.

The country exported 76.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas in January-April 2008. Gas exports to countries outside the post-Soviet CIS totaled 62.3 billion cubic meters, up 35% year-on-year. Exports to other CIS countries reached 14.4 billion cubic meters, down 11.9%, due to a reduction in supplies to Ukraine.

According to government forecasts, Russia's gas output will rise 3% in 2008 year-on-year to 673 billion cubic metric meters.

The state statistics service Rosstat said natural gas output dropped 0.8% in 2007 year-on-year, to 651 billion cubic meters.