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Iraq

Answer

Iraq reached its highest production levels; 3.5 million barrels per day (mbd)—just before its invasion of Kuwait in July 1990, before exports were halted by an international boycott. After the first Gulf War, oil production fell to about 500,000 barrels per day, enough for domestic consumption. (Figures taken from the US Congressional Research Service's Report to Congress on Iraq Oil, April 2005.) When the United Nations Oil for Food Programme started in December 1996, oil exports increased, although export levels were sporadic as a result of various disagreements between Iraq, its customers and the United Nations. During 1999 to 2001, production averaged 2.49 mbd and in 2002 Iraq's crude oil production rate was an estimated 2.02 mbd (source: US Energy Information Administration). Since the Second Gulf War, output has varied considerably as security problems and sabotage have disrupted the flow of crude oil to terminals in Turkey and the Persian Gulf; however, prices have remained high.With 115 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves, Iraq has the world's second largest oil reserves, amounting to 11 per cent. of the global total (the largest is Saudi Arabia with 260 billion barrels). Only 17 of 80 oil fields have been developed; the most significant are Kirkuk in the north and Rumayla in the south.The following table shows rates of oil production in Iraq from 2003–05.

	Millions of barrels/day
Time	Crude oil production	Crude oil export
Estimated Prewar Level	2.5 (prewar peak)	1.7–2.5
May 2003	0.3	0
June	0.675	0.2
July	0.925	0.322
August	1.445	0.646
September	1.7225	0.983
October	2.055	1.149
November	2.1	1.524
December	2.30	1.541
January 2004	2.44	1.537
February	2.276	1.382
March	2.435	1.825
April	2.384	1.804
May	1.887	1.380
June	2.295	1.148
July	2.2	1.406
August	2.112	1.114
September	2.514	1.703
October	2.46	1.542
November	1.95	1.320
December	2.16	1.520
January 2005	2.10	1.367
February	2.10	1.431
March	2.09	1.394
April	2.14	1.398
May	2.1	1.308
June	2.17	1.377
July	2.17	1.550
August	2.16	1.504
September	2.11	1.609
October	1.91	1.239
November	1.98	1.168
December	1.92	1.071

The following table shows actual oil revenues from these exports:

Time	Oil revenue ($ billion)
June 2003	0.2
July	0.36
August	0.44
September	0.73
October	0.89
November	1.21
December	1.26
Total 2003	5.09
January 2004	1.26
February	1.10
March	1.61
April	1.50
May	1.36
June	1.28
July	1.40
August	1.24
September	1.75
October	1.99
November	1.25
December	1.44
Total 2004	17.18
January 2005	1.49
February	1.34
March	1.99
April	1.83
May	1.57
June	2.03
July	2.47
August	2.63
September	2.74
October	1.89
November	1.34
December	1.36
Total 2005	22.68
Total as of 4 January 2006	44.95
Source: Brookings Institution, Iraq Index (January 2006)

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

44450; 441 c2146-8W

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Exports Iraq Income Oil Production

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk