MOSCOW (AP) - Russia increased oil production in the first four months of this year by 8.8 percent compared to last year to 119.8 million tons, the news agency Interfax reported Monday.
That is the equivalent of 7.298 million barrels a day, up from 6.706 million barrels in 2001.
Russia's aggressive young oil companies have steadily increased oil production since January, while also promising to cut oil exports to world markets by 150,000 barrels a day under a deal with the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries. The Russian government has indicated that it will review its commitment to the deal, designed to keep world prices from plummeting, next week.
The latest production figures, attributed to the Energy Ministry, indicate that Russia produced 30.216 million tons of oil in April, or 7.363 million barrels per day. That would represent an increase of between 82,000 and 87,000 barrels per day from first-quarter levels.
Russia's biggest producers this year have been Lukoil, Yukos, Surgutneftegaz and Tyumen Oil Company, Interfax said.
Russia also increased gas production by 2.6 percent in the first four months of this year to 210.225 billion cubic meters (7.3 trillion cubic feet), Interfax reported.