BASRA: Iraq's oil exports from its southern ports have reached 3.5 million barrels a day (bpd) crude oil as of Saturday, South Oil Company chief Ihsan Abdul Jabbar told Reuters.

Exxon Mobil's decision to evacuate its foreign staff from the West Qurna 1 oilfield is a "precautionary and temporary measure", he said, adding that the field is still operating at full capacity and producing 440,000 bpd.

Abdul Jabbar is the first named source to confirm the evacuation, which took place late on Friday and early Saturday.