EXPORTS OF U.S. EQUIPMENT TO U.S.S.R. RISE

July 23, 1990
U.S. exports of petroleum exploration and production equipment to the Soviet Union jumped sharply during 1989. It was the third straight year of increased shipments from the U.S. Total exports of "machinery and equipment for drilling, well operation, and geological exploration" by foreign suppliers to the U.S.S.R. increased by less than 1% to 637 million rubles vs. 634 million rubles in 1988. But U.S. sales of such equipment leaped 138% to 34.3 million rubles from less than 14.4 million rubles

U.S. exports of petroleum exploration and production equipment to the Soviet Union jumped sharply during 1989.

It was the third straight year of increased shipments from the U.S.

Total exports of "machinery and equipment for drilling, well operation, and geological exploration" by foreign suppliers to the U.S.S.R. increased by less than 1% to 637 million rubles vs. 634 million rubles in 1988.

But U.S. sales of such equipment leaped 138% to 34.3 million rubles from less than 14.4 million rubles in 1988.

BIGGEST SUPPLIERS

Moscow reported that the U.S. ranked third in deliveries of petroleum exploration and production equipment to the Soviet Union during 1989, up from seventh in 1988. However, the value of such sales by American firms last year was less than the 37.3 million rubles for 1980 and 37.9 million rubles for 1978.

Canada's exports of petroleum industry exploration and production equipment to the U.S.S.R. plummeted from 30.9 million rubles in 1988 to 2.9 million rubles in 1989, according to Moscow's figures.

Total world exports of such equipment to the Soviet Union peaked at nearly 1.3 billion rubles in 1983 and more than 1 billion rubles in 1984.

Romania was by far the biggest exporter of petroleum exploration and production equipment to the U.S.S.R. last year.

However, the value of Romanian equipment deliveries fell from nearly 426 million rubles in 1988 to about 374 million rubles in 1989.

France ranked second last year with sales to the Soviet Union totaling more than 103 million rubles vs. less than 78 million rubles in 1988.

WHAT WAS IMPORTED

Total Soviet 1989 imports of petroleum exploration and production equipment included 40 heavy drilling rigs valued at about 161 million rubles, compared with 49 such rigs costing nearly 212 million rubles in 1988.

The U.S.S.R. last year bought 13,483 tons of foreign Christmas tree and casing head equipment valued at 62.2 million rubles, up from 7,344 tons worth 43.4 million rubles in 1988. Blowout preventer imports rose from 503 costing 39.5 million rubles in 1988 to 517 worth 51.3 million rubles in 1989.

Imports of fittings and spare parts for machinery, equipment, and rigs used for drilling, well operation, and geological exploration climbed from 20 million rubles to over 51 million rubles. Imports of pumping units increased from 1,245 valued at 25.9 million rubles to 1,594 worth 33 million rubles.

Value of imported equipment for gas fields and gas pipelines slumped to about 47 million rubles in 1989 vs. nearly 123 million rubles in 1988 and 277 million rubles in 1987.

Purchases of foreign made tricone drillbits fell to 3,707 worth 3.1 million rubles from 12,810 valued at 14.5 million rubles, while tool joint imports declined to 118,000 worth 13.7 million rubles from 156,000 valued at about 17 million rubles.

EXPORTS CLIMB

The U.S.S.R.'s exports of machinery and equipment for drilling, well operation, and geological exploration climbed from less than 258 million rubles in 1988 to more than 426 million rubles last year.

The leading export category was simply classified as "oil field equipment," which increased from about 154 million rubles in 1988 to nearly 291 million rubles last year.

Biggest 1989 buyers of Soviet petroleum exploration and production equipment were Iraq at 133 million rubles, up from less than 29 million rubles in 1988, and Cuba with purchases totaling 75.4 million rubles last year vs. 28.8 million rubles in 1988.

The U.S.S.R.'s sales of such equipment to the People's Democratic Republic of (South) Yemen increased from 31 million rubles in 1988 to nearly 61.5 million rubles last year as the Soviets pushed to capture a relatively new market.

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