Iraqi oil exports from the Basra Gulf in December set yet another record, capitalizing on a steady uptick in crude prices and capping a breakout year in the oil sector for the federal government. Iraq’s average 3.535 million barrels per day (bpd) of exports in December was the fourth straight month of increasing loadings, according to preliminary data from the Oil Ministry released Tuesday, leaving Iraq with a record 3.309 million bpd average for the year.