OAO NOVATEK, the largest independent Russian gas producer, increased its daily output to a record-high 73.7-mil cu m as of Dec 1, 2004 from 58.3-mil cu m on the same date in 2003. The increase in production was reached through the launch of new assets over the year.

 In July 2004, Novatek has completed the first of three phases of development at the Yurkharovskoye field increasing production capacity to 9 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas per year. In May 2004, a gas pipeline was commissioned increasing gas transportation capacity to 25 million cubic meters per day.