Power cuts plague Iraq, hurt oil production

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Reuters

BAGHDAD, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Electricity cuts that blacked out Iraq's northern oilfields and main refinery this week were a timely reminder that its hopes of boosting oil production rest on something it does not have -- a dependable power supply.

Iraq has managed to sustain production of around 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd), but levels were close to 3 million bpd before the U.S.-led war on Iraq in March 2003.

While sabotage attacks have constantly interrupted the country's attempts to increase oil production, power cuts are nearly as detrimental.

The latest major disruption was on Wednesday, when Iraq's largest refinery at Baiji, 180 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad, was shut down by a power cut.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL838278.htm

[screembloodymurder]

1. How ironic that the President has to beg the Saudis to increase oil production.

If the surge is working, why can't we pump a little of Iraq's oil?

[flashl]

2. AND, Iraq's (our) dependence on Turkey and Kuwait is in flux

Friday, January 18, 2008 11:12 GMT

An official source in electricity Ministry announced that 36 trucks loaded with gas oil (solar) will arrive to Iraq coming from Kuwait, the source added that electricity Ministry hopes that other quantities will arrive in the few coming days and that in order to operate production units which are stopped because the lack of solar oil in Iraq.

On another hand, Electricity Ministry Spokesman Aziz Sultan said that since Turkey stopped providing Iraq with electricity and the lack of refined oil in the refineries caused electricity cut off that harmed the production of oil fields in North of Iraq. The spokesman added that the ministry cannot provide regular electricity flow to oil plants if Oil Ministry doesn’t provide it with necessary oil quantities.

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