Net profits from the sales to European countries last year expanded 8% to 448,250,000,000 rubles ($16 billion), which is largely explained by 9% wider sales - this increase making 12.6 billion cubic meters.
The total increase can be chiefly accounted for by the greater natural gas purchases by Germany, France, Italy and Britain in accordance with treaties in effect and the conclusion of additional contracts on natural gas deliveries.
Net receipts after natural gas sales to former Soviet republics amount to 68,763,000,000 rubles ($2.4 billion), being 48% up from the previous year. This is due to greater volumes of sales, above all to Ukraine, with additional 8.3 billion cubic meters, and to Kazakhstan, with 5.1 billion cubic meters.
Net revenues from the 2004 sales in Russia stood at 250,445,000,000 rubles ($8.8 billion), a 33% upswing. The reason here is the increased average gas price on the domestic market, set by the Federal Tariff Service, and the abolition of excises on natural gas extracted after January 1, 2004, which was partially compensated by the curtailment of sales by 1%, or 3.4 billion cubic meters.
Returns on the sales of gas condensate and products of oil and gas processing grew by 32% to 121,972,000,000 rubles ($4.2 billion).
