Exxon Mobil : Iraq to raise West Qurna 1 oilfield output to 490,000 bpd in next few days - official

BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq will increase production at its giant West Qurna 1 oilfield to 490,000 barrels per day (bpd) in the “next few days”, a senior Iraqi oil official said on Wednesday.

West Qurna 1 oilfield, developed by Exxon Mobil, currently produces about 440,000 bpd, Basra Oil Company chief Ihsan Abdul Jabbar told Reuters.

Exxon Mobil evacuated all of its foreign staff, around 60 people, from West Qurna 1 on Saturday, just days after the United States withdrew non-essential staff from its embassy in Baghdad, citing a threat from neighbouring Iran, which has close ties to Iraqi Shi'ite militia.

(Reporting by Aref Mohammed; Writing by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Jon Boyle)