The data for the first half of the year confirm a decline in crude oil and natural gas production of 7.8 and 1.4 per cent respectively, compared with the corresponding period of last year. As you know, there has been a secular decline in crude oil production since 2006, reflecting the maturation of our oil fields.
At the same time, natural gas production has plateaued over the past few years reflecting (a lack of new gas-based projects) as well as capacity constraints. In addition to these structural factors, since the beginning of the year, there have been disruptions to oil and natural gas production because of ongoing safety upgrades and maintenance work at some of our production facilities.