Yemen’s 2004 crude output fell to 430,000 b/d [Archives:2005/844/Local News]

Yemen's average crude oil output last year stood at 430,000 b/d, down about 18,000 b/d from 2003, the director of the country's Petroleum Exploration and Production Authority, Nabil Saleh al-Qusi, said in a report Friday by the daily pan-Arab newspaper al-Hayat. This is slightly higher than PEPA's previous first half 2004 average 400,000-420,000 b/d, but still below the 2003 output figure of 448,288 b/d/d. The country's oil ministry in a recent report put crude reserves at 5.7-bil bbl, al-Hayat reported. This is an increase from the previous estimate of 4-mil bbl. The country has opened up its oil and gas sector to further exploration by multinational corporations to stem the drop in output. PEPA also aims to increase natural gas output in blocks under exploration. Qusi also said that significant crude output is expected from Block 34 in central Yemen by the end of June. Block 10 production is expected at 34,000 b/d, al-Hayat reported.
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