AUSTRALIAN CRUDE OUTPUT FALLS IN FIRST NINE MONTHS
Australian crude oil and condensate
output fell 7.6 pct to 23,480 megalitres, or about 147 mln
barrels, in the first nine months of fiscal 1986/87 ending June
30, the Department of Resources and Energy said.
    The decline in production in the nine months to end-March
reflected mainly a sharp dip early in the fiscal year, when low
oil prices and high marginal excise rates led to a reduction of
output from Bass Strait, department figures in its Major Energy
Statistics publication show.
    A megalitre is 6,290 barrels.
 REUTER
