ADEN, April 8 (Reuters) - Yemen's oil revenue, crucial to government financing, fell by more than half in February from January and from February 2013 to $89.4 million mostly due to attacks on its main export pipeline, its central bank said in a report.
Yemen, one of the Arab world's poorest countries, relies on oil exports to finance up to 70 percent of its budget. But frequent attacks on its oil infrastructure over the past two years have slashed exports.
Revenue from oil exports was $214.8 million in January and $210 million in February a year ago.
Tribesmen often carry out attacks on the pipeline to pressure the government to create more jobs, settle land disputes or free their relatives from prison.
The central bank report said on Tuesday that attacks on the pipeline in February had also led to a cut in oil production to 800,000 barrels, compared with 1.8 million barrels in February 2013.
Before the attacks began in 2011, the 270-mile pipeline carried around 110,000 barrels per day from the Marib oil field to the Ras Isa oil terminal on the Red Sea.
Yemen had to import 1.4 million barrels of petroleum products worth $238.7 million in February to help cover its local needs, the report said.
Yemen is a small producer with proven oil reserves of around 3 billion barrels, according to the latest statistics from oil major BP
(Reporting By Mohammed Mukhashaf; Writing By Maha El Dahan; editing by Jane Baird)
((Maha.Dahan@thomsonreuters.com)(+ 9712 4082101)(Reuters Messaging: maha.dahan.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: YEMEN OIL/
