India's crude oil production down 2.6% in August

India's crude oil production fell 2.6 per cent in August as state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) produced less oil.

Crude oil production in August at 2.77 million tonnes was lower than 2.84 million tonnes, according to data released by Petroleum Ministry here.

ONGC produced 2.9 per cent less crude at 2.1 million tonnes with its prime Mumbai High fields seeing a 3.6 per cent dip in production to 1.46 million tonnes.

The nation's 19 refineries produced 3 per cent more fuel at 13.82 million tonnes even though Reliance Industries' (RIL) old Jamnagar refinery (J-1) reported a 2.4 per cent fall in production at 2.98 million tonnes.

Data for RIL's new only-for-exports refinery (J-2) was not provided. J-1 operated at 98.3 per cent of its installed capacity of 33 million tonnes a year, the data showed.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) produced 2.5 per cent more fuel at 4.24 million tonnes using 99.1 per cent of the installed capacity at its eight refineries.

Natural gas production at 3.86 billion cubic meters (bcm) was up 37.9 per cent on back of output from RIL's eastern offshore KG-D6 fields.

During April-August, gas output was up 26.4 per cent to 17.55 bcm.