LONDON, May 19: Iraq’s oil exports from its southern ports have slipped by 170,000 barrels per day so far in May, according to shipping data tracked by Reuters, although Iraq remains hopeful of sustaining shipments at April’s record rate.

Exports from the Basra oil terminal, Khor al-Amaya and two new Gulf outlets have averaged 1.94 million bpd in the first 18 days of May, the data showed. Iraq said

its southern exports averaged 2.11 million bpd last month.

An Iraqi oil official said production had dropped because urgent maintenance had been necessary at one of the southern oilfields. With production now restored, shipments should rebound in the rest of the month.

“Hopefully, we will achieve exports of 2.1 million barrels a day in the south and an overall total of 2.5 million,” the official, who declined to be identified, told Reuters.—Reuters