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Our Bureau

New Delhi, Jan. 1 While the domestic crude oil production, in November 2008, was up 0.5 per cent compared with the corresponding period last year, the natural gas output fell by 0.5 per cent.

The petroleum refinery output during the month under review also saw a decline by 1.1 per cent to 12.820 million tonnes (mt) mainly due to planned shutdown by the refineries and low demand.

According to a data released by the Petroleum Ministry, crude oil production rose in November to 2.837 mt (2.822 mt corresponding month last year).

The natural gas production during the month under review fell to 2.750 billion cubic metre (2.764 billion cubic metre).

The increase in crude production was driven by higher output from ONGC’s Mumbai High Fields that account for more than half of the country’s oil production. The month also saw production from private and joint venture fields go up by 8.6 per cent.

However, the natural gas output was lower than the planned target of 3.851 billion cubic metre for the month as production from Reliance Industries Ltd’s (RIL) deepwater block in the Krishna-Godavari Basin could not start in August 2008, as scheduled, according to the Ministry data.

The data showed that the domestic refineries had a capacity utilisation of 104.7 per cent in November compared with 106.2 per cent a year ago.

The refinery output fell by 1.1 per cent in November due to the planned shutdown of an Indian Oil Corporation refinery and lower demand in a slowing economy.

Production from RIL’s Jamnagar plant dropped 7.4 per cent. Since October 2005, it was the first decline in the country’s refining output.

Crude processing at IOC’s Panipat refinery was down 22 per cent in November as almost half of the unit was shut for most of the month for routine maintenance.

Capacity use at IOC’s seven refineries was 98.6 per cent.

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