Oil production is being gradually restored at the Rumaila oil field in the south of Iraq, after a fire at a nearby gas compression unit on 21 September.

“We have started to resume production gradually to its normal levels,” says Dhiya Jaffar, director-general of state-owned South Oil Company (SOC), Reuters news agency reports.

Jaffar did not give details on current output from the 17-billion-barrel field or a time frame for when production would return to normal levels.

Ali Khudhier, director general of state-owned South Gas Company, which operates the gas compression unit, denies that the fire caused the death of a worker. Khudhier did not reveal any details on when when the compressor would be repaired (MEED 21:9:11).

The field is being developed by UK oil major BP, along with China National Petroleum Corporation.