Iraq Oil Exports Down 8.5% to 95,148 Million Barrels

An Iraqi flag is seen in front of oilfields (Reuters)
An Iraqi flag is seen in front of oilfields (Reuters)
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Iraq Oil Exports Down 8.5% to 95,148 Million Barrels

An Iraqi flag is seen in front of oilfields (Reuters)
An Iraqi flag is seen in front of oilfields (Reuters)

Iraq exported 95,148 million barrels of oil in February 2025, down 8.5% compared to January exports, according to data released by the State Organization for Marketing of Oil (SOMO).

The total quantities of crude oil exported during February from the oil fields in central and southern Iraq reached 94,375,012 barrels, SOMO said.

Iraq’s oil exports to Jordan reached 419,846 barrels, and the quantities exported from the Qayyarah field reached 353,309 barrels.

In January, Iraq said it exported 103 million barrels of oil.

Starting this month and until June 2026, Iraq must voluntarily cut its crude oil production by an average of 125,000 barrels per day, as part of efforts to compensate for exceeding an OPEC+ quota during the previous months.

The country is the second-largest crude oil producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) after Saudi Arabia. Iraq's economy heavily relies on crude oil exports, which account for about 90 percent of the country's revenues.

On Wednesday, BP said it has received final government approval for the redevelopment of Iraq's giant Kirkuk oil fields, with an initial plan to produce 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent.

The project is a breakthrough for Iraq, where output has been constrained by years of war, corruption and sectarian tensions, and a cornerstone of BP's drive to refocus on its oil and gas business and away from renewables.



Oil Extends Climb on Supply Fears, Trade War Concerns Cap Gains

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
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Oil Extends Climb on Supply Fears, Trade War Concerns Cap Gains

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Oil prices inched higher on Tuesday after threats by US President Donald Trump to impose secondary tariffs on Russian crude and attack Iran, though worries about the impact of a trade war on global growth capped gains.

Brent futures rose 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $74.98 a barrel at 0645 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 22 cents, or 0.3%, to $71.70.

The contracts settled at five-week highs a day earlier.

"Near-term risks are skewed to the upside, with US threats of secondary tariffs on Russian and Iranian oil leading market participants to price for the risks of tighter oil supplies," said Yeap Jun Rong, market strategist at IG, Reuters reported.

However, broader themes still revolve around concerns of upcoming tariffs weighing on global demand, along with prospects of increased supply from OPEC+ and the US, said Yeap.

A Reuters poll of 49 economists and analysts in March projected that oil prices would remain under pressure this year from US tariffs and economic slowdowns in India and China, while OPEC+ increases supply.

Slower global growth would dent fuel demand, which might offset any reduction in supply due to Trump's threats.

After news of Trump's threats initially boosted prices on Monday, traders told Reuters they viewed the president's warnings to Russia, at least, as a bluff.

Trump, on Sunday, told NBC News that he was very angry with Russian President Vladimir Putin and would impose secondary tariffs of 25% to 50% on Russian oil buyers if Moscow tries to block efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

Tariffs on buyers of oil from Russia, the world's second largest oil exporter, would disrupt global supply and hurt Moscow's biggest customers, China and India.

Trump also threatened Iran with similar tariffs and bombings if Tehran did not reach an agreement with the White House over its nuclear program.

"For now, it appears to be just a threat to Russia and Iran. However, if it becomes a reality, it creates plenty of upside risk to the market given the significant oil export volumes from both countries," said ING commodities strategists on Tuesday.

The market will be watching for weekly inventory data from US industry group the American Petroleum Institute later on Tuesday, ahead of official statistics from the Energy Information Administration on Wednesday.

Five analysts surveyed by Reuters estimated on average that US crude inventories fell by about 2.1 million barrels in the week to March 28.