25 Dec 2010 13:45

Russia explores more oil, gas than extracts in 2010 - minister

MOSCOW. Dec 25 (Interfax) - Russia has explored more deposits of oil and natural gas than it has extracted in 2010, Natural Resources and Environment Protection Minister Yury Trutnev said at a meeting with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday.

"We have summed up preliminary results of geological prospecting in the outgoing year. We can firmly say already now that we have ensured expanded reproduction of the principal subsurface resources. It is noteworthy that the oil surplus is record high and will be at least 750 million tonnes. This is 50% more than production," Trutnev said.

Growth in the amount of gas deposits has reached at least 810 billion cubic meters, Trutnev said. "This is also a good surplus," he said.