OREANDA-NEWS. May 20, 2013. In the period of this January-April, Rosneft produced 13.8 billion cu m of gas inclusive that of TNK-BP results. This made it the third largest producer of fuel in Russia.

This is what ITAR-TASS reports with reference to data provided by the Central Dispatch Control of Fuel and Energy Complex. Gazprom occupies the first place, and Novatek the second place in the RF market.

Consolidation with ITERA, a gas company, helped the raw-material company reach such indicators. The two companies established a JV with proven and probable reserves of gas of 372.4 billion cu m.

"Rosneft" also increased production of oil by 24 percent to nearly 51 million tons within the first four months of the current year. As a comparison, the Company produced 125.8 million tons of oil during the whole of last year to take the first place in oil production in Russia.

Rosneft competes with Gazprom for the gas market. Gazprom is present in the oil market, too. Gazprom Oil, a company controlled by Gazprom, is one of the five largest oil producers in Russia.

Unlike the gas monopolist, Rosneft concedes it may start developing fields of shale gas in future, if it proves cost-effective. The Oil Company expects to raise production of gas to 100 billion cu m a year to occupy 20 percent of the internal market by 2020. For comparison, Gazprom produced 479 billion cu m of gas in 2012.