Russia exports more oil than Saudi Arabia

PARIS / MOSCOW - Russia is in the second quarter of this year became the world's leading oil exporter, ahead of Saudi Arabia, because in this period the average daily delivered to the foreign market 7.4 million barrels of primary energy resources, says the International Energy Agency (IEA ).

IEA data showed that Saudi Arabia fell to second place, with an average daily exports of seven million barrels of oil in the second quarter of 2009, reported the American agency Bloomberg. "

Saudi Arbija, however, in the first half of last year, when oil prices on the world market were record, exporting a day between nine and ten million barrels of oil. The reduction came after the delivery of a drastic cut and raw materials, in the second half of 2008. and early 2009.

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), in which Saudi Arabia is the most powerful member, in September last year decided that the daily production and the cartel of oil exporters bid to reduce the four million barrels.

Saudi Arabia was then taken over most of the commitments agreed reduction of production and delivery. Russia, which is not a member of OPEC, is directly criticized for "unfair" competition at the ministerial meeting of the organization, which was held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Vienna.

Russian Energy Minister Sergei Šmatko such criticism was immediately rejected as "unfair" to predočivši not all members of OPEC are not respected earlier established quotas limit oil exports.

Russian news service Lenta.ru states that, for example, last month, OPEC members exported an average of 28.445 million barrels of oil per day, nearly four million barrels more than previously agreed.

If the economic crisis in the world extend, and oil prices fall below current osetnije about 70 dollars a barrel, Russia will be forced to further increase its own supply and raw materials. It would, as it warns in an article published on the site Lenta.ru, could be further complicated relations of Moscow and a member of OPEC.

Russia has so far refused calls of some OPEC members to join the cartel that controls about 40 percent of world production of oil and agreed only to dvanaestočlanoj organization has observer status.