9 Feb 2011 15:45

Russia should keep oil output at 2010 level of 505 mln tonnes per year - Putin

ST. PETERSBURG. Feb 9 (Interfax) - Russia should keep oil production at the 2010 level of 505 million tonnes in the years to come, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said at a meeting devoted to the fuel and energy sector's performance last year.

This is the ideal volume, which covers both internal and export needs, he said.

"We need to keep to this level of production in the coming years," he said.

The Central Dispatching Department of the Fuel and Energy Complex (CDU TEK) has said Russia produced 505.193 million tonnes of oil and gas condensate in 2010, 2.2% more than in 2009. Gas production rose 11.6% to 650.311 billion cubic meters.