Venezuela says oil production up to 3.2 million daily barrels

By Associated Press- Boston.com, 4/13/2003 19:35

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Venezuela's oil production has risen to its highest level since before a two-month strike crippled operations, the energy minister said Sunday.

Rafael Ramirez said Venezuela was pumping 3.2 million barrels a day, up slightly from 3.1 million at the end of March. Venezuela's output quota determined by the OPEC oil cartel is 2.8 million barrels a day.

''We are compensating for what we couldn't place on the market'' during the strike, Ramirez told the government news agency, Venpres.

Production dropped below 200,000 barrels a day during the walkout, which began in December. The government fired 17,000 of the state oil company's 40,000 workers and gradually restarted paralyzed oil refineries.

The strike was called to force President Hugo Chavez to step down or agree to early elections on his rule but petered out in February without achieving its objectives.

Venezuela depends on oil exports for almost half of government income and 80 percent of foreign currency receipts.