Russia's OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS), the world's largest producer of natural gas, said Wednesday it produced 199.4 billion cubic meters of gas in the first four months of the year, an increase of 4.2 billion cubic meters from the year-earlier period.
Gazprom's Deputy Chief Executive Alexander Ananenkov said in March the company plans to produce 561 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2008 compared with 548 billion cubic meters in 2007.
Gazprom produces 84% of Russia's natural gas output, and about 20% of the world's overall output.