Iraq Daily Oil Output Drops to 1.4 Million Barrels

BASRA, Iraq — Iraq's daily oil production has fallen to 1.4 million barrels, a figure that includes output from domestic refineries as well as exports through Ceyhan Port in Turkey. The decline marks a significant setback for a country that has struggled to expand and diversify its export capacity since 2003. The drop in production stands in stark contrast to neighboring nations, which exported 83 million barrels more than Iraq in April alone. Analysts point to Iraq's neighbors having developed more diversified export routes and greater political stability as key factors behind the disparity. The Ministry of Oil had announced that repairs to the pipeline serving Ceyhan would be completed within two weeks, promising an additional 400,000 barrels per day. More than two months later, however, no concrete progress has been reported. The impending expiration of a Turkish operating license adds further uncertainty to the outlook for export volumes.