The production of oil in Iraq has reached a post-Saddam high of 2.5 million barrels a day, with a quarter of the production going to domestic use. The AP reports that the Iraqi production system has survived sabotage and political chaos to move forward to its current production levels:

Iraq is producing an average of 2.5 million barrels of oil a day, its highest level since the war began in 2003, an oil ministry spokesman said Wednesday.

Assem Jihad said 1.6 million barrels are being exported daily from the southern port of Basra, while 300,000 are being pumped from the northern city of Kirkuk to the Turkish port of Ceyhan.

The other 600,000 barrels produced daily are for domestic use, he said. ... Jihad also said new measures were being implemented and he was optimistic that the situation would improve.

"We hope to add 200,000 to 300,000 (barrels per day) before the end of this year," Jihad told The Associated Press, adding he also hoped to double the amount of oil pumped from Kirkuk to Ceyhan in that time period.

The increase in oil production shows an improving security situation as well as expertise. However, it only represents about 70% of the production under the Oil-For-Food program in the years leading up to the March 2003 invasion. Oil production under OFF peaked at 3.5 million barrels a day. Unlike the OFF production, though, the proceeds of today's production do not go into the pockets of a genocidal tyrant and the corrupt Western officials trying to curry favor with the Butcher of Baghdad.

It's good news, and we can look forward to more increases as the Iraqi government grows stronger.

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And this despite all the "sabotage and political chaos" the "insurgency" has thrown at it. It's gotta just fry the cut & run crowd how well the Iraqi economy is doing. Yes, 2.5 million barrels a day is still a million less than in the last days of... [Read More]

Tracked on July 3, 2006 6:34 PM