據能源世界網6月2日巴格達報道，伊拉克石油部周一宣布，該國5月份的原油銷量不足1億桶，但隨著油價回升，該國5月份的收入超過了前一個月。

歐佩克(OPEC)的第二大原油生產國最近受到全球油價暴跌和來自沙特阿拉伯的大量廉價原油的沖擊。

今年5月，伊拉克以平均每桶21美元的價格出售了9950萬桶原油，當月獲利20.9億美元。4月，賣出了更多的石油，銷量為1.031億桶，但每桶以13.80美元的創紀錄最低均價只帶來了14億美元的收入。

據專家警告說，即使價格回升，近幾個月來買家仍在購買廉價石油，因此不需要像夏季開始那樣購買大量原油。

歐佩克今年4月同意在5月和6月減產，以試圖提振油價，而伊拉克將不得不在這兩個月里每天減產100萬桶左右。

低收入對伊拉克來說是災難性的，伊拉克依靠石油銷售為其預算提供90％以上的資金。

每個月，其需要大約45億美元來支付工資、養老金、福利發放和其他政府開支。政府是該國最大的雇主，其工資表至少有400萬人，另有400萬人領取養老金或社會福利。

作為削減開支努力的一部分，該國內閣本周宣布，正在考慮削減高級公務員的總收入。高級官員告訴法新社，已經決定內部借款來支付4月份的工資。

他們表示，政府正在考慮承擔更多的內部和外部債務，印制貨幣，減少外匯儲備，并要求國際貨幣基金組織和世界銀行提供預算支持。

伊拉克已經要求生產石油的國際石油公司削減開支，這些開支由伊拉克政府按季度償還。

郝芬 譯自 能源世界網

原文如下：

Iraq crude sales slump in May, but revenues inch up

Iraq sold fewer than 100 million barrels of crude in May, its oil ministry announced Monday, but recovering prices saw it rake in more revenues than the previous month.

The OPEC cartel's second-biggest crude producer has been left reeling by the recent worldwide crash in oil prices and a flood of cheap crude from Saudi Arabia.

In May, Iraq sold 99.5 million barrels of crude oil at an average price of $21, earning $2.09 billion for the month.

In April, it had sold more barrels -- 103.1 million -- but the record-low average price of $13.80 per barrel earned it just $1.4 billion.

Experts had warned that even if prices recovered, buyers had been stocking up on inexpensive oil in recent months and would not need to buy as much crude as summer began.

OPEC agreed in April to introduce production cuts in May and June to try to revive prices, and Iraq will have to cut around one million barrels a day for both months.

Low revenues have been catastrophic for Iraq, which relies on oil sales to fund more than 90 percent of its budget.

Each month, it needs about $4.5 billion to pay salaries, pensions, welfare handouts and other government expenses.

The government is the country's biggest employer, with at least four million people on its payroll and another four million who receive pensions or social benefits.

As part of its efforts to slash expenses, the cabinet announced this week that it was exploring cuts to the gross incomes of senior-grade public employees.

It had already decided to borrow internally to cover salaries for the month of April, senior officials told AFP.

They said the government was considering taking on more internal and external debt, printing currency, drawing down foreign reserves and requesting budget support from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Iraq had already asked the international oil companies which produce its oil to cut down on their expenses, which are reimbursed quarterly by the Iraqi government.