	saudi february  output put at mln bpd saudi  oil output last month fell to an average of mln barrels per day bpd from mln bpd in january gulf oil sources said they said exports from the ras tanurah and ju aymah terminals in the gulf fell to an average mln bpd last month from mln in january because of lower liftings by some customers but the drop was much smaller than expected after gulf exports rallied in the fourth week of february to mln bpd from mln in the third week the sources said the production figures include neutral zone output but not sales from floating storage which are generally considered part of a country s output for opec purposes saudi arabia has an opec quota of mln bpd under a production restraint scheme approved by the nation group last december to back new official oil prices averaging dlrs a barrel the sources said the two fold jump in exports last week appeared to be the result of buyers rushing to lift february entitlements before the month end last week s high export levels appeared to show continued support for official opec prices from saudi arabia s main  customers the four ex partners of aramco the sources said the four exxon corp xon mobil corp mob texaco inc tx and chevron corp chv signed a long term agreement last month to buy saudi  for dlrs a barrel however the sources said the real test of saudi arabia s ability to sell  at official prices in a weak market will come this month when demand for petroleum products traditionally tapers off spot prices have fallen in recent weeks to more than one dlr below opec levels saudi arabian oil minister hisham nazer yesterday reiterated the kingdom s commitment to the december opec accord and said it would never sell below official prices the sources said total saudi refinery throughput fell slightly in february to an average mln bpd from mln in january because of cuts at the yanbu and jubail export refineries they put  oil exports through yanbu at bpd last month compared to zero in january while throughput at bahrain s refinery and neutral zone production remained steady at around bpd each reuter 
