Joint ventures accounted for 89.35 million bbl, or 3.6%, of Russia's oil production during 1993.
That volume compares with 42.34 million bbl produced by JVs during 1992, the Fuel & Energy Ministry reports.
The JV output last year could have been larger if not for shipment limits. Even so, the total far surpassed plans originally calling for 54.75 million bbl, said Vladimir Timofeyev, a ministry official.
Russia produced 2.47 billion bbl of oil in 1993, the ministry said.
JVs demonstrated a higher rate of technological development compared with other Russian groups. The nation's combined domestic association's oil production declined 14.5% in 1993 vs. the prior year.
Timofeyev said the ministry questions whether Russia benefits from such a development. "On the one hand, JVs attract foreign investments to the country's oil industry," he said. "On the other, they impose additional strain on Russia's oil transportation system already operated at peak capacity."
As of last Jan. 1, a combined 70 oil JVs were registered in Russia compared with 42 at the start of 1993.
In 1993, the ministry set up a special commission to determine the level of JVs' oil production authorized for exports. Nearly 20 Jvs have been reregistered so far.
JV oil production averaged 8.8 million bbl/month during 1993, an increase from 3.29 million bbl/month achieved in 1992.
JVs exported 56.14 million bbl of oil in 1993 to countries other than former Soviet republics. Combined Russian exports last year to foreign countries other than former Soviet republics were 582 million bbl.
Top ranked among the Russian JV oil exporters was Yuganskfrakmaster, which exported 12.78 million bbl during 1993. It was followed by Samotlor Services, a Russian-Canadian combine, which exported 9.71 million bbl last year, and Vanyeganneft, which exported 8.32 million bbl.
The ministry said quite a few JVs failed to meet export quotas by yearend 1993. So those quotas were extended to last Jan. 31. In some instances, the limited capacity of oil shipment systems was to blame for delaying the delivery of oil from Siberia. Russia's Siberian production region includes several oil transport organizations that are dealt with independently.
In only two cases in 1993, the ministry reports, did the JVs ship their oil production to Russian refineries.
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