ENERGY

Iraq Says It May Soon Attain Prewar Oil Capacity: Iraq could reach its prewar oil production capacity by the end of the year thanks to extensive repairs to facilities devastated by allied bombing, its oil minister says. Osama Abdul-Razzak al-Hiti said Iraq, which is capable of producing nearly 2.5 million barrels a day, has restored more than 90% of its refining capacity. Iraq was pumping about 3.3 million barrels a day before the Persian Gulf crisis began in August, 1990. Hiti said that could be matched within a few months--a contention that analysts greeted with skepticism.