KIEV, Jan. 21 - Ukraine’s natural gas output rose 0.25% to 20.185 billion cubic meters in 2012 from 20.14 billion cu m in 2011, according to the energy and coal industry ministry.

The national oil and gas company Naftogaz Ukrayiny produced 18.21 billion cu m of gas in 2012, up 0.5% year-on-year, while output of other gas extraction companies dropped 0.4% to 1.99 billion cu m.

Ukraine’s gas production fell 1.7% year-on-year to 1.72 billion cu m in December 2012 from 1.75 billion cu m in December 2011, but up from 1.67 billion cu m extracted in November, the ministry said.