Oil exports from the southern Iraqi port cities were 73.6 million barrels for August, the Iraqi Ministry of Oil declared Thursday.

Oil ministry spokesman Assim Jihad said Thursday oil exports from the southern port city were sent to nearly three dozen international companies.

August exports were down more than 2 percent from the 75.7 million barrels sent from southern port cities the previous month.

SOMO is the only entity authorized to export oil from Iraq, the federal government in Baghdad says. The semiautonomous Kurdish government has exported oil taken from its northern provinces at least since May, to the frustration of Baghdad.

The Oil Ministry said Thursday exports to Ceyhan from a pipeline from the restive northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk have been idled since May because of terrorist actions.

Militants from the Islamic State, referred to often as ISIS or ISIL, claimed in June they took over the Baiji oil refinery, the largest in Iraq.

Oil Minister Adil Abdel Mahdi visited the Baiji refinery in Saladin province to inspect the status of the facilities there.

There, he "praised the high national spirit of the employees," the security of the refinery and the military operations taken against the Islamic State.