Iraq's June oil exports fall as domestic usage rises
(Reuters) Iraq's oil exports from the southern ports fell slightly in June as power generators burning more fuel to keep up with demand for air conditioning increased domestic demand, an official at the state-run South Oil Company said on Friday.
Loadings from Iraq's southern oil terminals, on the Gulf, ran at an average rate of 3.175 MMbpd, compared with 3.2 MMbpd in May, he said.
Crude supply to local oil refineries rose due to the increase in demand for electricity for cooling during summer in OPEC's second-largest producer, he said.
The southern region produces most of the OPEC nation's crude oil. The northern Kurdish regional government exports about 500 Mbpd through a pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan, on the Mediterranean, but independently from the central government in Baghdad which oversees crude sales from the south.
Iraq, which relies on oil for nearly all its revenue, made $3.845 B in revenue from oil exports in June, selling at an average price of $40.37 per barrel, an oil ministry spokesman said. June's revenue was higher than April as prices increased.
Iraqi officials and oil analysts expect further growth in the country's exports this year, but at a slower rate than 2015 when it was the fastest source of supply growth in OPEC.
Reporting by Aref Mohammed and Saif Hameed; Writing by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Alexander Smith
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