Two Oklahoma senators have asked for hearings to explore how Iraq has increased its oil production without complying with all United Nations resolutions.
Don Nickles and James Inhofe, both Republicans from Oklahoma, asked the energy and foreign relations committees to hold a joint hearing on the issue shortly after the Senate reconvenes this month. They said, "We should not continue to tolerate increased production from Iraq, particularly in light of its continuing refusal to comply with post-war obligations."
They said Iraq produces about 2.6 million b/d, almost equal to what it produced before it invaded Kuwait in August 1990.
The U.N. oil-for-aid program allows Iraq to sell $5.256 billion of crude every 6 months. It has only sold about $3 billion since 1994 because of the effects of low oil prices and production constraints caused by damages to its oil facilities in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
Nickles and Inhofe said Iraq's increased production has contributed to low world oil prices, which they said have harmed U.S. energy producers.
The senators said it added "insult to injury" that Iraq was the fifth largest source of U.S. oil imports in October 1998, with 20.1 million bbl or 8% of total U.S. imports for the month.
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