By Nailia Bagirova BAKU, March 17 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's oil and condensateoutput fell by 5.5 percent year on year in January-February to6.8 million tonnes, the State Statistics Committee said onMonday. Falling output at the Azeri, Chirag and Guneshli (ACG)oilfields - the biggest oil production project in Azerbaijan andone of the largest globally for oil major BP - haveraised concerns in Baku. BP and partner state energy firm SOCAR have tried to calmthose fears by saying last year that production had stabilised.Total oil production grew last year for the first time since2011. "Decline in oil output in January-February is linked tooutput decline at the main oilfields - Azeri, Chirag andGuneshli," a source from the statistics committee told Reutersspeaking on the condition of anonymity. The committee did not release separate figures for oiloutput at the ACG in January-February. Output at the ACG last year fell 2.2 percent to 32.2 milliontonnes from 32.9 million, BP-Azerbaijan said last week. BP said last month that oil production at ACG might beslightly lower than in 2013 as the company planned maintenancework at the Central Azeri and West Azeri platforms, haltingoperations for a couple of weeks. The company did not say when the work would start. Azerbaijan has said its total oil and condensate productionrose by 0.4 percent in 2013 to 43.1 million tonnes after twoyears of decline. Jan-Feb Jan-Feb Jan-Dec SOCAR 2014 2013 2013 estimate s for 2014 Oil + 6.8 7.2 43.1 41-44 condensate (mln tonnes) Natural gas 3.1 2.9 29.2* n/a (for consumers)(bln cubic metres) * Shows total gas volumes, including gas pumped back to oilreservoirs. DECLINE IN OIL EXPORTS Decline in oil output led to reduced oil exports fromAzerbaijan in the first two months, a source at the StateCustoms Committee said. The source said Azerbaijan exported 5.362 million tonnes ofoil, down from 5.636 million in the same two months last year. Exports of oil via Russia through the Baku-Novorossiiskpipeline were 209,452 tonnes, down from 249,601 tonnes. Exports of oil through the Baku-Supsa pipeline via Georgiaincreased to 713,803 tonnes from 712,702 tonnes, while exportsthrough Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan via Georgia and Turkey were 4.283million tonnes, down from 4.531 million. Oil exports shipped by a railway via Georgia rose to 156,628tonnes from 142,974 tonnes.
LONDON MARKET MIDDAY: FTSE 100 shines but "mixed feelings" after Fed
(Alliance News) - London's FTSE 100 was solidly higher on Thursday, outperforming European peers, as earnings from the likes of Shell and Standard Chartered impressed.
Read more