Iraq’s oil exports dropped sharply in October to an average of 2.7m b/d, from 3.052 m b/d the previous month, reported Reuters.

The Iraqi oil ministry explained that shipment delays were responsible, thanks to poor weather, with all of the exports from Iraq’s southern ports.

A spokesman for the ministry did admit, however, that shipments from Iraq’s north via Ceyhan in Turkey stopped completely in October after dropping to an average of just 20,000 b/d the previous month.

A shipper told Reuters that loading operations had stopped completely from October 28 to 30 due to the high winds which snapped ropes holding a ship in Basra port and damaged a loading hose.

According to Trade Arabia, shipping data do indeed show that exports from the southern terminals were high for much of October only to slow as poor weather delayed cargoes.

The number had reached a record 3.1m b/d in the first 27 days of the month.

As for revenues from the country’s October sales, they totaled $3.32b, selling at around $39.56 a barrel.