Gas production in Russia declined by 13 percent since the beginning of the year.

The volume of gas production in Russia in January-February 2009 fell by 13 percent over the same period the previous year, Interfax reports with reference to the Central Dispatching Management of fuel and Energy Complex (CDU TEK). A total volume of gas production in this period amounted to 103,841 billion cubic meters, and in February of 2009 - 48,825 billion cubic meters.
The volume of gas production by Gazprom for the first two months of 2009 amounted to 84,576 billion cubic meters, and in February - 39.56 billion cubic meters. One of the largest independent gas producers in Russia - "Novatek" - in January and February was able to produce 5582 billion cubic meters of gas, and in February - 2706 billion cubic meters.
On 17 February it became known that "Gazprom" for two consecutive months, a reduction of gas production due to the fall in fuel consumption. By mid-February 2009 the Russian mining group declined by 13.3 percent compared to 2008. In January, Gazprom produced gas at 13.7 per cent lower than during the same period a year earlier. Decreased production in the first month of the year was due mainly to the discontinuation of two weeks of fuel transit through Ukrainian territory.