MOSCOW, October 19 (RIA Novosti) - Russian oil major Lukoil increased its oil production by an estimated 4.3% year-on-year in the first nine months of 2005 to 66.86 million metric tons, the company's press office said Wednesday.
Lukoil's average daily oil production was almost 1.8 million barrels per day in January-September 2005, 4.7% up from 2004.
The average production rate of oil wells during the period rose to 11 metric tons per day, an increase of 3.6% from last year.
Lukoil produced a total of 5.47 billion cubic meters of gas in the first nine months of 2005, up 18.1%. Average daily gas production rose by 18.5%.
Natural gas production totaled 1.84 billion cubic meters during the period, exceeding last year's figure by 50.4%.
Lukoil expanded its domestic refining volume by 8.3% year-on-year to 35.05 million metric tons. Refining at foreign plants rose by 34.9% after the Romanian Petrotel-Lukoil refinery began operations.
