Oil ministry achieves highest production since 2003

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The daily oil production in Iraq rose to 2.5 million barrels, the biggest since 2003, spokesman of the oil ministry said on Wednesday. “The daily oil production rose by 10% through cooperation among national and foreign companies,”  Essam Jehad told IraqiNews.com news agency, pointing out that this is the highest production since 2003. Iraq‘s newly appointed oil minister said the country’s daily oil production has increased by 100,000 barrels a day to 2.5 million barrels a day. Abdul-Karim Elaibi said the increase came from two southern major oil fields that are being developed by Western companies. Elaibi says his top priority is to develop Iraq‘s dilapidated oil infrastructure and increase export capacity from southern terminals to 4.5 million barrels a day, from the current 1.6 million barrels a day. The minister’s statement on Wednesday marked his first full day in office. SH (P)SR 125