Iraq exported 10 million barrels of oil through Hormuz Strait in April

That figure is lower compared to about 93 million barrels a month before the war with Iran, Basim Mohammed said on Saturday, reports resorters, broadcast Periscope.

"Exports through the Hormuz Strait are low and depend on the arrival of oil tankers, which are not entering due to security", he said at his first press conference after taking office.

Iraq currently produces 1.4 million barrels a day.

The country's gross oil exports through the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline resumed in March, after Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government agreed to resume flows.

"We export 200,000 barrels through the port (Turkish) Cheyhan and we have a plan to increase it to 500,000 barrels", Mohammed said.

Baghdad is also in talks with Ankara on a new co-operation agreement covering upper and lower-flow projects, extending an earlier agreement that was limited to crude oil exports, Mohammed said.

Iraq is in negotiations with American companies, including Chevron (CVX.N), opens a new branch, ExxonMobil (XOM.N), opens a new branch and Halliburton (HAL.N) opens a new branch for the development of oil and gas projects, Mohammed said, urging firms to sign contracts as soon as possible to help secure considerable revenues for Iraq. /Periscope