Rio, April 14, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Average petroleum and natural gas production by the Brazilian petroleum company, Petrobras, in Brazil and abroad in March came to 2,018,689 barrels/day, a 6.4% increase in relation to March, 2003, and 1.5% more than in February of this year. In terms of domestic fields alone, daily oil and gas production reached 1,750,985 barrels, 1.3% more than in February, but 3.9% less than in March, 2003.

The information provided by Petrobras indicates that the oil and gas derived from the eight countries where the company has assets in production amounted to 267,704 barrels/day in March, 3.2% more than in February and a 258% increase in comparison with March, 2003.

Without including natural gas, petroleum production in domestic fields in March stood at 1,486,829 barrels/day, 1% more than in February, and 5.2% less than in March, 2003.

Natural gas production Brazilian fields attained 41.9 million cubic meters/day, while 16.1 million cubic meters/day were produced abroad.

Translator: David Silberstein