Nielmar de Oliveira
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Rio - Petrobras' domestic and foreign production of petroleum and natural gas expanded 8.4% last month, in comparison with October, 2004. When compared with the figures for September, however, average daily production was slightly lower (-0.8%).

2.23 million barrels of oil equivalent (petroleum and natural gas) were produced, maintaining the daily average at nearly the same level. The data, furnished by Petrobras, show that, when domestic fields are considered separately, the production of oil equivalent achieved a daily average of 1.99 million barrels. This also represents a drop (-0.1%) in relation to September and an increase (11.2%) in relation to October, 2004.

Petrobras' production abroad attained a daily average of 242.2 thousand barrels of oil equivalent, 6% less than in September. According to the company, this abrupt decline in foreign production from one month to the next was due to a strike in the south of Argentina and a scheduled production halt in Angola for preventive maintenance of equipment.

When foreign production in October is examined in greater detail, Petrobras extracted a daily average of 153.49 thousand barrels of petroleum, 4.6% less than in September. Natural gas production abroad averaged 15.81 million cubic meters per day, 8.4% less than in September.

Translation: David Silberstein