Oil majors BP (bp), Eni, and TotalEnergies are evacuating foreign personnel from Iraqi oilfields amidst increasing regional tensions, according to the Basra Oil Company.
Despite these precautionary measures, oil output from Iraq’s southern fields remains steady, with exports averaging 3.32 million barrels per day, reported Reuters.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Basra Oil Company announced that foreign staff, particularly from bp, which operates the Rumaila field, are being temporarily evacuated. bp has yet to comment on the situation.
In a statement, Basra Oil said: “The companies operating in Basra Oil Company fields… have temporarily evacuated some foreign personnel, particularly bp, which operates in the Rumaila field.”
However, the company assured that this would not affect production levels.
Eni, operating under a technical service contract at the Zubair oil and gas field, has reduced its staff from 260 to 98, but the remaining workers continue their duties alongside local employees.
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataAn Eni spokesperson stated that this personnel reduction is a precautionary move and that the company is closely monitoring regional developments.
TotalEnergies has also evacuated 60% of its staff from Iraq, but Basra Oil confirmed that operations are not being impacted. The company has not provided a statement.
Meanwhile, Chinese companies managing the West Qurna/1, Siba, and Faihaa fields have not reduced their staff, and operations by Russia’s Lukoil continue unaffected.
Chevron and Shell, both present in Iraq, have declined to comment on their personnel strategies.
The situation has escalated following threats from an Iran-aligned Iraqi armed group, Kataib Hezbollah, which warned of potential attacks on US troops if the US intervenes in Iran.
In response to these heightened risks, the US oilfield services company Baker Hughes is also shifting staff out of Iraq, as stated by a spokesperson.
This security concern extends beyond Iraq, with Qatar temporarily closing its airspace following recommendations from US and British authorities for citizens to shelter in place.
The Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, a significant US military facility, is on high alert.
The Israel-Iran conflict has intensified, with the US striking three Iranian nuclear sites and warning Iran against retaliation. Iran’s military has responded by stating its readiness to take action against US forces.
RBC Capital Markets analysts have highlighted the potential vulnerability of Middle Eastern oil supply, noting energy infrastructure could become targets in the conflict, with Iranian and Israeli actions posing risks to the region’s critical oil facilities.
