MOSCOW — Oil and gas condensate production grew 3.4 percent in the January to April period of 2005 and hit 152m tons, the Russian Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat) has reported. Oil production shrank at a 3.4-percent monthly rate in April and advanced 3 percent from a year earlier. In 2004, oil and gas condensate production rose 8.9 percent to 458.808m tons.

Production of natural gas in January-April 2005 in Russia totaled 225 billion cubic meters, 1.3 percent more than in the same period last year, the federal state statistics service reported. In April 2005, Russia's natural gas output was 0.3 percent up on the same period last year, but it was 6.6 percent lower than in the previous month.

Russia's total production of natural gas in 2004 was 591 billion cubic meters, which is 1.6 percent more than the year before. Of this amount, Gazprom produced 545.1 billion cubic meters.

The industrial output index reached 104.2 percent in Russia in January-April, 2005, compared to January-April, 2004, the federal state statistics service has reported. In April 2005, industrial production grew 5 percent against that in April 2004, but it dropped 3.6 percent against that in March 2005.

In January-April, 2004, industrial output increased 6.9 percent against that in January-April, 2003, and in April 2004, it fell 4.6 percent against that in March 2004. In total, industrial output grew 7.3 percent in 2004.

Russia's investments accumulated abroad amounted to USD7.566bn by the end of March, 2005. Russia allocated USD6.4bn in investments abroad in the first quarter of this year, up 53.4 percent from a year earlier, the Russian Federal Statistics Service (Rosstat) has reported. Redeemed investments totaled USD6.3bn, up 55.3 percent from a year earlier.

Russia transferred USD1.25bn in investments in the South Africa (16.5 percent of the overall amount). Investments in Netherlands were USD625m (8.3 percent).