An Iraq-flagged tanker carrying two million barrels of crude oil has set sail for the US, the first such trip in nearly three decades, the oil ministry said Saturday (June 9th).
Iraq is OPEC's second biggest producer with 153 billion barrels of proven crude reserves, AFP reported.
"The Baghdad left Basra on Friday night headed for the US. It is the first time since 1991 that Iraq is running its own oil tankers," oil ministry spokesman Assem Jihad said.
Infrastructure in Iraq, which depends on oil for 99% of revenues, has been devastated by recent conflict, including against the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS), but authorities have been looking to boost oil and gas output.
Iraq has leased four tankers and is expected to obtain three others at a later date.
In May, Iraq exported 3.49 million barrels of oil per day, the oil ministry said.
