Iraq's oil exports from southern ports 3.45mn bpd in March

BAGHDAD: Iraq exported 3.453 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from its southern ports in March, slightly above the February average, the oil ministry said on Sunday.

Iraq's exports from the ports, managed by the central government in Baghdad, averaged 3.426 million bpd in February, down from 3.49 million bpd in January.

The semi-autonomous Kurdistan region exports about 300,000 bpd of crude from northern Iraq through a pipeline across Turkey.

There were no exports in March from the Kirkuk fields, located in northern Iraq but under the control of Baghdad, the oil ministry said in a statement.

Kirkuk oil exports stopped in October, when Iraqi government troops backed by Shi'ite paramilitary forces dislodged Kurdish fighters from the region.