02 March 2004	Tuesday	10 Muharram 1425

LONDON, March 1: Iraqi crude exports fell in February to about 1.48 million barrels per day (bpd), down 7.5 per cent from January as storms disrupted loadings at the country's sole operating port, shipping sources said on Monday.

Shippers and port officials based at the southern Basra oil terminal said a total of 26 ships containing 42.8 million barrels of crude had sailed in February, with the port having closed several times in the past month due to storms.

Exports in January were at 1.6 million bpd. "The loading rate has improved quite a bit and if not for the weather, exports could have been much higher," one shipping source said. "We are loading now between 70,000 and 80,000 barrels per hour (bph)." Pre-war loading rates at the port were about 85,000 bph. -Reuters