Sakhalin oil and gas companies in 2013 will increase gas production by seven percent compared to the performance seen last year – to 29.6 billion cubic meters, said the Governor of the region Alexander Khoroshavin. Exploration at the Kirinsky, the Benin, the Lebedinsky, and the Kaigan-Vaskanskom license areas, as well as at the license area Astrahanovskoe Sea – Nekrasov will take place in 2013 as planned. In the second half of the year, development will begin at the Kirinskoye gas condensate field.