Foreign Affairs
Iraqi Oil Production
Alan Khatib
To the Editor:
In his article "The Next War of the World" (September/October 2006), Niall Ferguson states that Iraq's "oil production is running at just 16 percent of its prewar level because of sabotage and other problems." Actually, since the beginning of 2004, crude oil production has averaged about 1.9 million barrels per day (mbd), and crude oil exports have averaged 1.5 mbd. If we take production in 2001, which was at 2.4 mbd, as the prewar basis, then the 2004 production represents almost 80 percent -- not 16 percent -- of the prewar level.
Alan Khatib
Petroleum engineer, Amman, Jordan