The National Statistics Committee reported that imports of Russian oil to Belarus in the first quarter fell to slightly more than three million tons. Comparing with the same period of last year, oil imports reduce amounted to 43.2%. As a result, the refining industry decreased the volume of production by 38.4%.
Furthermore, Belarus has sharply reduced imports of petroleum products. In January-March of 2010, the country imported 111.7 thousand tons of petroleum products, which is 89% less than in the first quarter of last year, AFN reports.
While the price of Russian oil in January-March amounted to 368 dollars per ton (increased by 5.7% comparing with the first quarter of 2009), and Belarus bought petroleum products at 537 dollars per ton, that in 2.2 times more expensive than in the past year.
In the first quarter, the export of oil products decreased by 39.1% and: it amounted to 2.24 million tons at the price of 553 dollars per ton (the price has grown by 51.5%).
Belarusian petroleum industry in January-April of 2010 has reduced its output by 38.4%, up to 6.9 trillion rubles comparing with the same period of 2009. At the same time, in April 2010 over April 2009, the production decreased by 32.6%, and comparing with March 2010, increased by 10.3%.
Belarus increased its gas imports by 86%
In the first quarter of 2010 Belarus imported 6.4 billion cubic meters of natural gas, which is 86% higher than during the same period of 2009, Belstat informed. However, the average price of Russian gas has remained at 171 dollars per thousand cubic meters, that is 19.8% lower than in the first quarter of the last year.
External late arrears for natural gas on April 1 rose to 270.6 billion rubles (more than 90 million dollars). On March 1, overdue debt of Belarus to Gazprom amounted to 144.1 billion rubles, while on February and at the beginning of the year there was no debt.
