RIYADH: The Russian government has ordered that the publication of statistics on oil, gas and condensate production be suspended until April 1, 2024, Tass news agency reported. Tass, citing a government decree, said the publication of the data would be halted starting with figures for March and the first quarter. Statistics agency Rosstat omitted monthly oil production data from its latest economic report published last Wednesday. Moscow has suspended or delayed publishing key statistics since the start of what it calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine in February 2022. Exxon delivers record first-quarter profit Exxon Mobil Corp. made a record first-quarter profit by pumping more oil and gas, taking shares to an all-time high. Exxon doubled profits from the same quarter last year as higher output more than compensated for lower energy prices. Share prices of Exxon also rose 2.3 percent to a record high of $119.52 per share after the company reported its results on Friday. Net profit of the company rose to $11.43 billion, or $2.79 per share, compared to $5.48 billion a year ago that included a $3.4 billion after-tax write-down to exit Russia. First-quarter results also reflected the expansion of Exxon’s fuel production. The company finished the startup of a new crude processing unit last quarter at its Beaumont, Texas, plant that added 250,000 barrels per day of oil refining capacity. Exxon’s oil and gas production rose to the most since 2019 to 3.83 million barrels of oil equivalent per day, up by 160,000 boepd from the previous quarter. Meanwhile, another oil major Chevron’s net profit in the third quarter also climbed by 5 percent from a year ago to $6.57 billion or $3.46 per share. US oil and gas rig count steadies in April: Baker Hughes US energy firms last week added oil and natural gas rigs for a second week in a row for the first time since March, keeping the count steady in April, energy services firm Baker Hughes Co. said in its report. The oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose two to 755 in the week to April 28. Baker Hughes said that puts the total rig count up 57, or 8 percent, over this time last year. Oil rigs were unchanged this week at 591 but inched down by one in April in their fifth monthly decline. Gas rigs rose by two to 161 this week, while edging up one in April in their second monthly rise. (With input from Reuters)