US oil workers leave Iraq after air strike on Iranian leader Qassem Soleimani

UScitizens working for foreignoilcompanies in the southernIraqi city of Basra were leaving the country on Friday, theoilministry said afteraUSairstrikekilled a topIraniancommander inIraq.

Hoursafterthe killing ofIranianQudsForceleaderQassem Soleimani andIraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who was with him, theUSembassy in Baghdad urged all its citizens toleaveIraqimmediately.

Iraqi officials said the evacuation would not affectoiloperations, production or exports from the country, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries with the output of about 4.62 million barrels per day (BPD), according to asurvey of OPEC output.

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Oilcompany sources toldearlier on Friday that dozens of foreignworkerswere expected to fly out of the country. Awitness saw a number of foreigners, includingUScitizens, queuing at Basraairport and described the atmosphere as relaxed.

Some were travelling to Dubai onairline FlyDubai and others were checking in at the QatarAirways counter.

A spokesman for BP, which operates the giant Rumailaoilfield near Basra, declined to comment. Rumaila produced around 1.5 million BPD as recently as April.

Italian energy group Enisaid the Zubairoilfield, which produced around 475,000 BPD in 2018, was "proceeding regularly", adding it was closely monitoring the situation.

USmajor Exxon Mobil declined to comment on whether it was evacuating staff but said the production "continuesnormally" at its West Qurna 1oilconcession in the south of the country near theIranianborder.

"We continue to watch the situation closely," a spokeswoman said.

Exxon removed around 60 foreign staff from West Qurna last Mayafterattacks near itsoilfacilities. The employees returned about two weeks laterafterthe government agreed to provide additional security.

Schlumberger, which also works in southernIraq, is evaluating the security situation, a spokesman said, declining to comment on theUScall for citizens to evacuate. Last year it won a two-year contract to drill 40 wells for BasraOilCo.

Ian Bryant, chief executive of Canadianoilfield company Packers Plus, said he was "more concerned than ever" about the safety of their staff inIraq, adding he was worried thatUS, British and Canadian citizens might get caught up in any unrest.

Genel, anoilproducer in the autonomous region of Kurdistan in northernIraq, said its operations were continuing normally. It did not comment on any staff movements.

Gulf Keystone Petroleum, which also operates in Kurdistan, said "while these events are taking place ... Gulf Keystone is closely monitoring the situation and operations at (the Shaikan field) are carrying on as per usual".