Ecuador's oil export revenue totaled $827.82 million in December, a 69% increase from $489.25 million in the same month of 2006, the central bank said Thursday.

In terms of volume, Ecuador exported 10.72 million barrels in the December, slightly more than the 10.68 million barrels shipped one year earlier.

That translates into exports of 345,781 barrels a day in December from 344,787 barrels a day registered in the same month of 2006.

According to the central bank, the average price of crude in December increased 68% to $77.21 per barrel from $45.83 a barrel in December 2006.

Of the total exported by the country in December, 5.68 million barrels, or 53%, were sold by private companies operating in Ecuador, obtaining revenue of about $431.76 million. The remaining was exported by state-run Petroecuador.

Ecuador's oil export revenues totaled $7.43 billion last year, a 7% increase from $6.93 billion in 2006.