Oil exports up by 1.7m barrels in December

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Iraq’s oil exports rose by 1.7 million barrels in December 2008, compared to the previous month, the Ministry of Oil said. “The country’s oil exports in December reached 56.2 million barrels,” a media spokesperson for the ministry, Aasem Jihad, said. Iraq’s oil exports in November 2008 hit 54.45 million barrels, according to figures released by the ministry. Last month’s exports were sold at an average price of $34.57 U.S. dollars per barrel, making a total revenue of $1.943 billion, Jihad said in an exclusive statement to IraqiNews.com news agency. According to Jihad, 43.4 million barrels were exported via the ports of Basra and Khour al-Amiya, while 12.8 million barrels were exported through the Turkish Ceyhan Port. He pointed out that Iraq’s crude oil was sold to 23 companies from Asia, Africa, Europe and the United States. Iraq has the world’s third largest oil reserves. SS (P) 1