Yemen has resumed production and exports from its Masila oil fields for the first time since a civil war began more than 16 months ago, state news agency sabanew.net reported on Aug. 11.

The agency, which is run by the exiled government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, quoted oil minister Saif al-Sharif as saying Yemen also hoped to resume production from the Shabwa and Marib oil fields.

Sharif said Yemen hoped to resume exporting oil and natural gas from Ras Isa Port on the Red Sea, and Balahaf on the Gulf of Aden, but gave no details on timing or quantity.

An oil ministry official said last month that Yemen had sold 3 million barrels (MMbbl) of crude to commodities trader Glencore, drawing criticism from the main refinery struggling to provide fuel for local power stations.

Yemen is a small producer with proven oil reserves of about 3 Bbbl, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The impoverished country has been gripped by war pitting the Iran-allied Houthi group backed by troops loyal to ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh against the internationally recognized Hadi government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia.

Hadi's government has regained control of large parts of the country's south and east in the past year.

Most foreign oil companies left the country after the war began in March 2015. The EIA said nearly all output from Yemen's oil and natural gas fields had been shut since the war began.

Yemen pumped an average of about 127 Mbbl/d in 2014, but output declined to about 44 Mbbl/d in July 2015, the EIA said.

Yemen has two primary crude streams: the light and sweet Marib and the medium-gravity and more sulfur-rich Masila. According to the government, the southeast Masila Basin holds more than 80% of the country's reserves, an EIA report said.