The Yemeni government plans to develop the national oil reserves and limit the continuous decline of oil production at a time when the authorities are struggling to repair the Marib pipeline, which has been shut down for ninth months, Althawra newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The plan is aimed at tackling fuel shortages and ensuring good supplies for suitable prices with the aim to fight the smuggling of oil products, the official paper said.
Amid ongoing repairs to the Marib pipeline after repeated attacks this year and last year, the interior ministry said the pipeline suffered three attacks on Tuesday.
The attacks occurred in Kilo 86, Kilo 88 and Kilo 94 in the Serwah district, it said, days after reporting a military taskforce was sent to protect the repair teams.
The authorities said the shutdown of the Marib pipeline since October has cost the country about $4 billion and expressed fears the shutdown may aggravate the economic situation in one of the poorest countries in the world.
The evaluation report on the third development plan said the gross oil production remarkably declined to achieve a minus growth of -8.9% through 2006-2009, the paper said.
The minus growth was blamed on the decline in oil production from 133.3 million in 2006 to 103.7 million in 2009, it said, added, that is expected to fall to 95.5 million in 2012.
Yemen produces about 270,000 barrels a day. But only the production from the Masila basin continues, about 160,000 barrels a day.
Oil revenues contribute more than 50% to the state budget and oil products more than 90% of the country's exports.