Russian oil production hits new post-Soviet high

Russian oil output hit a new post-Soviet high of 9.42 million barrels per day in September as continued output rises by most companies compensated for flat production at oil major Yukos.
Energy Ministry data showed on Monday that output rose by 50,000 bpd in September from August, continuing an uninterrupted uptrend which has seen production rise by more than 50 percent since 1999.
Oil prices have rallied in recent months, in part on concerns that Russia, the world's second largest oil exporter, may slow output and export growth amid a tax dispute between the Kremlin and top Russian exporter Yukos.
Yukos' tax troubles are part of a broader campaign seen by many analysts as orchestrated by the Kremlin to punish its main owner Mikhail Khodorkovsky for political activities. He is now on trial on charges of fraud and tax evasion.
Yukos was reported to have cut its output by 35,000 bpd in September for a few days after local power utility reduced supplies due to non-payment. But supplies were quickly restored after Yukos agreed on the debt settlement. The data showed Yukos' output was 1.74 million bpd in September, unchanged from August.
Yukos' problems have done little to damage the impressive growth of other firms, with medium-sized Slavneft remaining the leader with production rising by a quarter year-on-year.
Slavneft is jointly owned by No 5 oil firm Sibneft and TNK-BP, in which oil major BP owns 50 percent. TNK-BP's own output, including Sidanco, also rose to 1.39 million bpd from 1.22 million bpd a year ago.
Oil major LUKOIL, in which the third largest US oil firm ConocoPhillips agreed to buy 10 percent last week, also showed a seven percent growth on Russian fields.
Despite a healthy output increase, pipeline monopoly Transneft showed poor export results in September of 3.88 million bpd versus 3.86 million bpd in August.
September has traditionally been the strongest month in terms of exports for the world's largest pipeline system, but this year shipments were curbed by maintenance on routes to the Black Sea and by what traders call artificial curbing of loadings via Lithuania's Baltic port of Butinge. In September, Butinge loaded 400,000 tonnes (98,000 bpd) compared to 600,000 tonnes in August and 812,000 tonnes in September last year. Shipments will further decrease to 305,000 tonnes in three cargoes in October.
On Monday, the energy ministry said some 3.0 million tonnes (730,000 bpd) have been re-exported from refineries in September, the first time it disclosed such a figure.