Iraq’s Deputy Petroleum Minister for Production and Exploration, Karim Hattab, said that the ministry plans to increase the exporting capacity of Amaya terminal in Basra to nearly 1mb/d, adding that the Basra Oil Company continues to work on development and rehabilitation of the terminal for that purpose, reported Iraqi News.

According to Hattab, the terminal’s current capacity stands at 250.000b/d and it is expected to reach 600.000b/d within the coming period through new pipelines, pumps and storage facilities, later reaching more than one million over the coming years, according to Erbil Companies.

Iraq exports most of its oil production through Amaya and Basra ports, besides other separate floating terminals. The South Oil Company in Basra declared in January it was dredging Amaya’s berth for the first time since its inauguration 50 years earlier.

Iraq is OPEC’s second largest oil producer after Saudi Arabia, recording a daily production of 477.5mb/d in 2016. Despite the planned increase, Iraq is recommending an extension of an OPEC agreement to cut members’ production, by 1.

8mb/d, beyond June.