Iraq Resumes Southern Oil Exports

22 August 2005 -- The company which runs Iraq's southern oil fields says the country has resumed exporting oil from its southern fields after a 16-hour suspension due to a power failure.

Spokesman Samir Jassim Maksoufi said the exports started again at 1400 Prague time after a repair team succeeded in restarting the pumping station.

Maksoufi said sabotage could have been a cause for the power failure.

Iraq exports about 1.5 million barrels a day from the south.

Exports from Iraq's northern oil fields around Kirkuk have long been interrupted due to sabotage on the pipelines.

(AFP)