The new minister also said the shortfall in oil supply caused by new U.S. sanctions on Iran had yet to be gauged before Iraq and other OPEC members could decide what action to take ahead of their policy meeting next month.
Iraq, OPEC’s second-largest producer, is targeting production capacity of 5 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2019, with average exports expected to reach around 3.8 million bpd.
Iraq currently pumps around 4.6 million bpd, second only to Saudi Arabia in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The bulk of Iraq’s oil is exported via its southern terminals, which account for more than 95 percent of state revenue.
Upgrading capacity, especially in the south, “is a top priority,” Ghadhban told Reuters in his first interview since taking over at the ministry last month.
“We have had talks with international companies which lasted for a while, but now we are about to reach a deal and will settle this issue soon,” he said.
In the coming years, Iraq plans to boost export capacity to 8.5 million bpd after upgrading its infrastructure, Ghadhban said.
This would include 6.5 million bpd from southern oilfields, with 1 million bpd to become available after a new pipeline from the northern city of Kirkuk to Turkey’s Ceyhan port on the Mediterranean is built.
Source: Reuters
