Thanks to high prices, it is expected to earn more than $40 billion from oil sales in 2005.

"We, like others, have been trying to get information on the process for oil sales."

The current level of earnings from Iraqi oil sales is not clear.

Most of the money is supposed to come from Iraqi oil sales.

Before the sanctions, Iraq's annual oil sales were about $18 billion.

Before the gulf war, Iraq was earning about $21 billion a year from oil sales.

Past efforts to talk with Iraq about plans that allow limited oil sales have all failed.

Their costs would also be paid out of Iraq's oil sales.

But officials here have been hoping that approval for the oil sales would come within weeks.

Income from the country's oil sales account for about 80 percent of the government's revenue.