New Delhi: India's crude oil production fell 1.4 percent in December as output from oilfields operated by private companies like Cairn India fell sharply.
Crude oil production at 3.21 million tons in December 2014 was 1.4 percent lower than 3.25 million tons in the same month a year ago, according to latest data released by Petroleum Ministry here today.
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) reported a 0.7 percent rise in output at 1.9 million tons on the back of 5 percent surge in offshore production.
However, privately operated fields reported a 5.2 percent drop in production at 1.02 million tons. Rajasthan oilfields of Cairn saw production drop 7.8 percent to 765,049 tons, it said.
Natural gas production dipped 3.5 percent to 2.89 billion cubic meters as output from privately operated fields like Reliance Industries' eastern offshore KG-D6 block continued to decline.
ONGC's gas production was down 5.1 percent at 1.89 bcm while output by private firms from offshore fields too declined by 4.5 percent to 641.86 million cubic meters.
The nation's 22 refineries produced 19.72 million tons of petroleum products in December, 6.1 percent more than 18.6 million tons fuel produced in December 2013.
While RIL's older refinery at Jamnagar in Gujarat saw crude throughput surging 26.7 percent to 2.8 million tons, its adjacent only-for-exports unit reported a 1.6 percent drop at 3.1 million tons. Essar Oil's neighbouring Vadinar refinery throughput was up nearly a percent to 1.75 million tons.
Crude throughput or the quantum of crude oil turned into petroleum products (fuel), by public sector refiners was up 4 percent at 10.54 million tons.
While RIL's older refinery operated at 99.93 percent of its 660,000 barrels per day capacity, the newer export-oriented unit (SEZ refinery) slogged 138 percent of its 580,000 bpd capacity.
Public sector refiners saw a capacity utilisation of 103.46 percent.
