Iraq has received requests to increase the quantities of crude oil it exports to Asia, the head of state oil marketer SOMO told state news agency INA on Friday.

China and India will not give up on Iraqi crude oil even if Russian oil is currently offered to them at a discount, Alaa al-Yasiri said, adding that his country is exporting all surplus quantities of crude that are available for export.

“Iraq has for the last three years been the top supplier of crude oil to India …(and China) but Russia will be a competitor for us in this market this year,” Yasiri said.
Source: Reuters (Reporting by Ahmed Tolba; Writing by Nadine Awadalla and Maha El Dahan; Editing by David Goodman)