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Iraq's Oil Exports Hit Record High

By John Lee. Surprising skeptics, the International Energy Agency has announced that Iraq's oil exports have hit 3.6 million bpd, a record 30 year high, The Wall Street Journal reports. Previously exports were falling due to export bottlenecks, bad weather and extensive work on infrastructure, while some northern areas such as Kirkuk were adversely affected by insecurity. […]

Erbil and Baghdad: One Step Forward?

By John Lee. Just as some observers were saying the dispute looked intractable, Deputy Prime Minister for Energy Hussein al-Shahristani has announced a potentially big breakthrough in the ongoing saga of deal and no deal between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government over oil exports to Turkey and oil revenues. Reuters has reported that after intensive […]

Turkey Defers to Baghdad on Kurdish Oil

By Semih Idiz for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. With hundred of thousands of barrels of its oil stuck in the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, unable to be sold on the world market because of its continuing row with Baghdad, the Kurdistan Regional […]

Iraq Becomes China's Number Two Crude Exporter

By John Lee. Intensive competition to supply China's oil demand has combined with slowing demand for oil globally, and this is putting downward pressure on oil prices in 2014, Reuters reports. Iraq and Russia have positioned themselves to be long term suppliers of the Asian giant, squeezing out African and Latin American producers trying to improve […]

Southern Oil Exports Rise

Oil exports from southern Iraq increased by almost 300,000 bpd in the first two weeks of this year, compared to the December average, according to a report from Reuters. Exports averaged 2.35 million bpd in the first 15 days of January, up from 2.08 million bpd in December. Although this is seen as a sign […]

KRG Confirms Oil Export through Ceyhan

The KRG Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) gives public notice of the commencement of the sale of its first shipment of crude oil exported via Kurdistan Region’s new pipeline through Turkey to the Port of Ceyhan (pictured). MNR anticipates the sale of the first parcel of two million barrels of exported crude oil to occur […]

Iraq Finalises Gasoil Term Contract

By John Lee. Vitol and Glencore have finalised term contracts to sell over 1.5 million tonnes of gasoil to Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organisation (SOMO), reports Reuters. Vitol will supply four cargoes of 500 ppm sulphur gasoil, along with three cargoes from Glencore, through 2014 at a premium of $7.37 a barrel over Middle East quotes […]

Iraq Offers Longer Credit to India

By John Lee. The head of refineries at Hindustan Petroleum (HPCL) has told Reuters that Iraq is willing to double the credit period on crude sales to 60 days if Indian refiners buy more in 2014. B.K. Namdeo added: "Iraq is very positive. They are willing to raise credit period to 60 days and waive […]

Oil Output Up in February

By John Lee. Platts reports that Iraqi oil production rose slightly in February to 2.963 million barrels per day (bpd), up by 43,000 bpd over January. Figures from the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) show that Iraq exported 2.536 million bpd last month, 177,000 bpd above January's tally of 2.359 million bpd, and only 78,000 […]

Is Sima a Front for Trafigura in Iraq?

By John Lee. Four industry sources have told Reuters that Swiss oil trader Trafigura is still indirectly supplying gasoline to Iraq through another firm, despite being banned from participating in tenders for 2013 after buying oil from Iraqi Kurdistan. Baghdad's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) finalised a deal in November to buy 1.56 million tonnes […]

Iraq Addresses Crude Oil Price/Quality Concerns

By John Lee. Reuters reports that Iraq has sweetened the terms for oil contract buyers and is becoming more competitive on pricing. Oil Minister Abdul Kareem Luaibi [Elaibi], who met customers in Vienna last month on the sidelines of the OPEC meeting, told the news agency: "We were keen that I personally meet all the […]