Zubair Oilfield Fire Cuts Output: Iraqi Minister

A fire at Iraq's Zubair oilfield shut down production of between 400,000 and 600,000 barrels of oil, but did not disrupt exports, Oil Minister Hayan Abdel-Ghani said on Tuesday. The fire, which broke out on Sunday, affected a crude pumping station which transports crude from the Zubair field to nearby storage tanks.

Deputy oil minister for upstream affairs Basim Mohammed said the lost crude oil shipments were compensated for the following day with 300,000 barrels by diverting flows to the Zubair 2 storage depot. Normal pumping rates were fully restored early on Tuesday, he said in a statement. Iraq's total oil output stands at around 4.4 million barrels per day.