VIENNA. June 5 OPEC ministers know they must make room for Iraq to return to I he oil market, but the trick in getting It done without hurting the price, says AP

Iraq s oil minister. Amer Mohammed Rasheed, came to town talking big. saying he a ready to tie beck In business by the end of the month, pump Ing 1.5 million barrels of crude

1nat • about 400.000 bar rels more than other ministers hinted they .Might like lo see In a new production quota lor Iraq, which lias been banned from exporting oil since It in vaded fellow OPEC member Kuwait tn August 1990

Iraq says it already has customers lined up, although Rasheed woqldn t name any.

Rasheed's timetable may also tie unrealistic, as Iraq and the United Nations have yet to finalise their deal signed last month to sell a limited amount of oil to buy food and medicine for Iraqis ailing /inder sanctions imposed after the Kuwait invasion

At current prices. Iraq would need lo sei) about 700.000 barrels of oil a day to gain the two billion dollars that the United Nations would allow for the first 180 days of

the deal.

Several Gulf sources Indicated they might be willing to add 700.000 barrels a day to OPEC a overall ceiling of 24.5 million barrels to accommodate Iraq, but Rasheed says he plans to export 800.000 bar rels a day. Other ministers declined comment on the higher figure

If prices collapse. Iraq would have to sell even more oil to meet Its dollar targets which could push prices ever lower

Minister were gathering to discuss the situslion Wednesday afternoon

Analysts say the Iraals are seeking to posture for future talks, when the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries must face the more delicate task ol finding a way to make room for even more crude sales from Iraq

Iraq has the world s sec ond-largest oil reserves, after Saudi Arabia, but has been sidelined since the war, producing oil only for domestic consumption. It was pumping about 3.4 million barrels a day before the war. but Is now under an OPEC quota of 400.000 barrels a day Rasheed Iraq is actually pumping 700.000 barrels.