» Home » Business News Iraq Directory Services Plans Subscription Contact us Site Map Help About Iraq Iraq boosts oil exports July 02, 2005 London Iraq's exported a total of 1.42 million barrels per day of crude oil in June, up 40,000 bpd from 1.38 million bpd in May, shipping sources said. The flow rose as Iraq exported 1.55 million barrels of oil from its northern oilfields via pipeline to Turkey, the first crude exports through the route since December. Around 41 million barrels of crude were exported from the southern Basra and Khor Al Amaya terminals in June. That was down on the 42.9 million barrels exported through the southern terminals in May. The exports through Turkey took Iraq's total June exports to 42.55 million barrels, a little less than the outright May total but the daily rate was higher because June has fewer days. Turkish refiner Tupras bought all the crude that was exported via Turkey in June. Tupras loaded a million barrels via tanker. The refiner took another 550,000 barrels via direct pipeline from the Turkish terminal of Ceyhan to its 113,000 barrels per day Kerikkale refinery, shippers said. Exports via Turkey are expected to be higher again in July. Iraq state oil marketer Somo awarded the first Ceyhan sale tender for a year this week for a total of 2.63 million barrels to load from Ceyhan on July 1-10. There are currently around four million barrels of oil in storage at Ceyhan, shippers said. The northern pipeline to Ceyhan has been plagued by sabotage ever since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Exports through the line restarted in mid-May, and have been sporadic since then. Iraq's total export capacity in the pre-war Saddam era was some two million bpd. Output has fallen in the last year in the southern oilfields due to lack of investment and maintenance. Source: Trade Arabia © 2002-2004 Iraq Directory - All Rights Reserved