Gazprom"s natural gas output will decline...

Kupriyanov told Ekho Moskvy radio station that the energy giant"s gas output decline could be attributed to reduced gas demand in Russia and Europe due to the global economic crisis.

Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller earlier said that gas output reduction was expected and the fourth quarter had not made the situation more dramatic.

Miller said that the energy giant"s output was also affected by reduced gas consumption in Ukraine. Russia supplied 27 billion cubic meters of gas to Ukraine in 2009, compared with 55 billion cubic meters in 2008.

According to data of the Russian Energy Ministry, gas output in Russia declined 14.5% in January-November 2009 to 519.409 cubic meters, with gas exports down 16.1% to 143.94 billion cubic meters.

MOSCOW, December 31 (RIA Novosti)