The World

Soviet oil production rose to 312 million tons (about 2.2 billion barrels) in the first half of 1986, putting it on track for passing the 600-million-ton level this year after two years of falling output, the Communist Party newspaper Pravda reported. The six-month figures show a generally improving economy. Areas targeted in Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev's modernization drive recorded sharp increases, with the production of industrial robots up 25%, calculators up 16% and metal-cutting tools up 28%. However, there was a 4% drop in foreign trade.