Southern Oil Facilities "Very, Very Safe"

By John Lee.

Oil Minister Abdul Kareem al-Luaibi [Elaibi] (pictured) said on Wednesday that Iraq's southern oil export facilities were secure, with shipments now running at around 2.6 million bpd, according to Reuters.

Speaking to reporters ahead of an OPEC meeting in Vienna, he said:

"All our exports now are from the Basra terminal in the south - and it's a very, very safe area."

Iraq's northern export pipeline from Kirkuk to the Turkish port of Ceyhan has been out of action since March after a bomb attack.

(Source: Reuters)