Iraq Oil Output Rising Despite Attacks

[leftchick]

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/CE4A015A-19FC-486D-B406-C41D40D70B20.htm

<snip>"Hopefully, we shall keep on increasing production. Our plan is to reach the pre-war sustainable production level of 2.8 million bpd by the end of March 2004, and God willing, before then," he said.

Exports would rise in parallel from their current level of 1.6 million bpd to between two and 2.1 million bpd in March, he said.


Most of Iraq's output is coming from the southern oilfields which are currently producing 1.7 million bpd and providing all exports, transiting via the offshore terminal of Basra on the Gulf, he said.


Production in the northern oilfields around Kirkuk is crippled by resistance attacks on pipelines and other facilities.

Faraj said output from the north is running at 500,000 bpd, but the crude oil pumped out was mainly being re-injected into the fields after extracting the gas associated with it to supply the domestic market.