Iraq to increase oil production to 2.5 million barrels – minister

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahrestani on Friday said that the ministry’s plane for 2009 includes increasing oil exports to 2.5 million barrels per day. “This development happened despite that 700 acts of sabotage occurred against oil production and exportation establishments after the topple of former regime,” al-Shahrestani said during a forum on reviewing the oil policy in Iraq, “Iraq will still depend on oil in financing the budget and the investment plan in the coming years,” he explained. SH (P) 1