Russian gas production falls for 3rd consecutive month

MOSCOW. (Interfax) – Russian natural gas production dropped for the third consecutive month in July, the Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) said on Thursday.

Gas production dropped 2.8% in July 2007 from July 2006. Gas output dropped 0.7% in June 2007 compared to June 2006 and 1.8% in May.
Gas output grew 0.2% and 0.1% respectively in January-May 2007 and January-June 2007, but dropped 0.3% to 382 billion cubic meters in January-July 2007.

Gazprom (RTS: GAZP) and independent gas producers decided at the end of May to reduce gas production by approximately 8 bcm by the end of the third quarter of 2007 because of unseasonably warm weather.

Interfax