The previously undisclosed information is likely to strengthen the hand of US lawmakers complaining that Iraqis are not footing enough of the bill for rebuilding their nation - particularly in light of rising oil production and world prices.

Oil prices on Wednesday hovered near US$120 a barrel.

Defence Secretary Robert Gates met privately on Tuesday night with Senate Armed Forces Committee Chairman Carl Levin, where the Democrat said he would raise the issue of spending in Iraq.

New figures from Iraq's government show revenue from exports hit US$5.83 billion in December - more than US$1 billion over what was previously reported by the government, said Mr Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, in an interview with The Associated Press.

It compared to US$2.4 billion in January 2007 and US$3.3 billion in July, he said in a recent interview.

The latest data 'clearly substantiates ... that Iraq is enjoying a record windfall as the result of record oil prices, record oil production and record oil exports,' Mr Bowen said.

Iraq's Oil Ministry had previously said revenue for December was US$4.7 billion. The new figure of US$5.83 billion was included in a year-end report that is just now being given to the US government, Mr Bowen said.

With the revised December figure, and continued strong production and export figures since then, he said he now believes oil revenues could soar to US$70 billion in 2008.

'If this continues, it would be double what they anticipated' for their budget, he said.

'If annualised, it would be about US$70 billion,' said Mr Bowen, who had predicted in a March hearing in Congress that revenues could climb to as high as US$60 billion.

That was up from an earlier estimate of US$35 billion.

The new figures also come as Bowen prepares to release the latest of his quarterly reports, in which he audits a US$48 billion US reconstruction programme that has made mixed headway toward restoring basic services and getting Iraq's economy on track.

Mr Bowen said the report, expected next week, will show postwar records set early this year for both oil production and export.

US lawmakers have said it is time for Iraq to pay for more of its needs.

Mr Levin said on Tuesday before his meeting with Mr Gates that he will try to push legislation that would prohibit US money from being spent on reconstruction and possibly other war-related costs.

Republican lawmakers have signaled a willingness to back a measure on spending, depending on how it is written. Republican Sens Susan Collins, Bob Corker and Judd Gregg have proposed separate legislation that calls for Iraq or its neighbours to pay more for reconstruction.

Other lawmakers have suggested restricting future reconstruction dollars to loans instead of grants and asking Baghdad to pay for the fuel used by American troops as well as take over US payments to predominantly Sunni fighters in the Awakening movement.

'Iraq doing what it could'
Mr Samir Sumaida'ie, Iraq's ambassador to the US, sought on Wednesday to assure members of Congress that Iraq was doing what it could.

'I assured them that the Iraqi government is not only willing, is actually stepping up and taking (on) as much of the financial cost of reconstruction as possible. And we're doing it as fast as we can,' he told reporters after meeting privately with House Republicans and Democrats at the Capitol building.

Iraq's 2008 budget is about US$48 billion with some 84 per cent coming from oil, officials have said. That was calculated using a US$57-a-barrel price.

Iraq has the world's third-largest known crude oil reserves with an estimated 115 billion barrels.

Along with the US$48 billion appropriated by Congress for reconstruction since 2003, Iraqis have budgeted US$50.6 billion and international donors have pledged US$15.8 billion.

Though Iraqis have budgeted the money, they have a poor record of actually spending it. US officials say that is largely because they lack expertise in budgeting and financial management.

Political considerations also have tainted the way money is handled. So has theft, fraud, skimming and other corruption that Mr Bowen once said amounted to a 'second insurgency.' -- AP