Iraq installs electronic meters to measure oil output and oil exports
Iraq has installed 67 new electronic meters to gauge oil output and exports.
The move comes after years of complaints that the country lacked modern means to measure its oil output and exports, making it easy and possible to doctor the numbers.
Dhiya al-Mawsawi, Director-General of Southern Oil Company, said the meters were the first batch and more should be in place to cover all the country’s oil wells and export terminals.
“These meters meet all prevalent international standards and are supervised by a third party,” Mawsawi said.
The meters will also be monitored by SOMO, Iraq’s oil export arm, and the Oil Ministry at the same time.
Without such meters it is almost impossible to measure the exact volume of oil produced and the amount that goes for exports.
It is not clear why Iraq waited so long before having such advanced meters in place, leading to reports of smuggling and fraud of both oil output and revenues.
Mawsawi said some of the meters were to be placed at the country’s refineries.
“We have contracts which we are going to sign so that we will have these meters (at oil wells, export terminals and production points) across the country,” he said.
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