Domestic crude oil production grew by 0.75 per cent in February 2016 as compared to the same month last year while natural gas production grew by 1.24 per cent, according to data released by the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas.

However, the figures may not be strictly comparable to last year as 2016 was a leap year which meant there was one extra day of production this year.

Crude oil production during February 2016 stood at 2.896 million tonne (2.875 million tonne). The numbers were aided by a 3.37 per cent growth in crude oil production from ONGC’s western offshore fields.

Domestic natural gas production stood at 2.565 billion cubic metre as compared to 2.533 billion cubic metre in the same month last year. Here again, ONGC’s western offshore fields registered a 3.31 per cent growth in production.

Despite the higher production of crude oil, there was a 30 per cent rise in imports during the month. Crude oil imports stood at 16.882 million tonne in February 2016 (12.993 million tonne).

This was partly because of the 8.05 per cent increase in crude throughput in the refineries in the country. Crude throughput or the amount of crude oil refined by domestic refineries stood at 19.001 million tonne (17.585 million tonne). Meanwhile, the Ministry of Mines released the mineral production index for the month of January 2016 which showed a 1.2 per cent year-on-year rise.

The total value of mineral production in the country in January stood at ₹20,316 crore with the highest contribution coming from coal at ₹9,076 crore. Crude oil production value for the month stood at ₹5,522 crore, natural gas at ₹1,970 crore, iron ore at ₹1,841 crore, lignite at ₹593 crore and limestone at ₹533 crore.

“The six minerals together contributed for 96 per cent of the total value of mineral production in the country,” an official statement said.

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