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MOSCOW, May 17 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's oil output increased 1.8% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2006 to 116.3 million metric tons (2.3 mln bbl/d) and exports grew 0.6% to 61 million metric tons (1.2 mln bbl/d), the Federal Statistics Service said Wednesday.
Oil output rose 2.2% in March 2006, year-on-year, to 40 million metric tons (803,290 bbl/d) and exports fell 7.2% to 21.3 million metric tons (427,750 bbl/d). Month-on-month, oil output went up 11.5% and oil exports rose 5.6% in March 2006.
Oil sales on the domestic market rose 6.9%, year-on-year, in the first quarter of 2006 to 52.8 million metric tons (1.06 million bbl/d) and 8.9%, month-on-month, in March 2006 to 18 million metric tons (361,480 bbl/d).
Oil accounted for 34.6% of Russia's exports and 49.9% of the country's fuel and energy exports in the first quarter of 2006 compared with 31.6% and 51.3%, respectively, in the first quarter of 2005.
The average export oil price was $381.9 per metric ton and the world price of Russia's Urals crude was $422.3 per metric ton in March.
