If confirmed, it would raise Iraq from the worlds third largest source of oil reserves with 116bn barrels to second place, behind Saudi Arabia and overtaking Iran.
The study from IHS, a consultancy, also estimates that Iraqs production could be increased from its current rate of less than 2m barrels a day to 4m b/d within five years, if international investment begins to flow.
That would put Iraq in the top five oil-producing countries in the world, at current rates.
