Domestic production of crude oil and natural gas fell sharply in the month of November as compared to the same month last year. While crude oil production in the month was 3.3 per cent lower than last year, natural gas production was 3.92 per cent lower, the data released by the Ministry for Petroleum and Natural Gas on Tuesday showed.

The quantum of fall is the highest for both crude oil and natural gas, in the April-November 2015 period.

Crude oil production during the month was 3.039 million tonne as compared to 3.143 million tonne in the same month last year. The impact of a 5.24 per cent fall in production from Cairn India’s Rajasthan fields was felt in the overall numbers. ONGC’s production from the Western Offshore fields remained stagnant as compared to the same month last year.

The lack of production also had an impact on the crude oil imports. According to data from the Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell, crude oil imports in November 2015 were 10.6 per cent higher at 16.60 million tonne.

The imports made up for the crude oil availability for refineries. The crude throughput at refineries was 2.53 per cent higher during November 2015 at 19.695 million tonne as compared to 19.208 million tonne in the same month last year.

Meanwhile, natural gas production during the month stood at 2.716 billion cubic metre as against 2.826 billion cubic metre in the same month last year.

Natural gas production in the eastern offshore blocks fell 15.53 per cent during the month to 0.349 billion cubic metre. Production from ONGC’s offshore blocks also fell 5.34 per cent to 1.386 billion cubic metre.

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