Finance
BP's foreign staff evacuated from iraq oilfield after drones landed in field, sources say
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 5, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 5, 2026
Quick Summary
BP evacuated its foreign staff from Iraq’s Rumaila oilfield after two drones landed there; Iraq has already cut oil output by ~1.5 million bpd amid export bottlenecks and storage running out.
BP Evacuates Foreign Employees After Drones Land at Iraq's Rumaila Oilfield
Incident at Rumaila Oilfield and Its Impact
Evacuation of Foreign Staff
BASRA, March 5 (Reuters) - Foreign staff were evacuated from Iraq's giant Rumaila oilfield, run by British energy major BP, after two unidentified drones landed inside the field on Thursday, three Iraqi oil industry sources told Reuters.
BP's Response to the Situation
Company Statement
"We are taking all necessary steps to support our partners and ensure the safety of our people," a BP spokesperson told Reuters.
"We are continuously assessing the situation, have been communicating with those people under our duty of care and will address them directly should there be a need for any change."
Oil Production Cuts in Iraq
Reduction in Output
Two Iraqi oil officials told Reuters on Tuesday that the country had cut oil production by nearly 1.5 million barrels a day, adding those cuts could widen to more than 3 million bpd within days as the country runs out of storage and cannot export crude due to the Iran war. Iraq produced about 4 million bpd in January.
Impact on Rumaila Oilfield
Output at Rumaila, which normally stands at around 1.4 million bpd, was reduced by 700,000 bpd, the officials said on Tuesday.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Aref Mohammed in Basra and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad; additional reporting by Shadia Nasralla, Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Key Takeaways
- •Two unidentified drones landed inside Rumaila, prompting evacuation of foreign personnel for safety.
- •Iraq has already slashed oil production by nearly 1.5 million barrels per day; Rumaila’s output was cut by 700,000 bpd.
- •Rumaila is Iraq’s largest oilfield (~1.4–1.5 million bpd capacity), holding ~17 billion barrels (~12% of national reserves), making the disruption significant.
Frequently Asked Questions about BP's foreign staff evacuated from Iraq oilfield after drones landed in field, sources say
1Why did BP evacuate foreign staff from the Rumaila oilfield?
BP evacuated its foreign staff from Rumaila oilfield after two unidentified drones landed in the field, raising safety concerns.
2How did the drone incident affect oil production at Rumaila?
Output at Rumaila was reduced by 700,000 barrels per day following the drone incident and evacuation.
3What measures is BP taking to ensure safety after the incident?
BP is assessing the situation, supporting partners, communicating with staff, and prepared to respond to any changes.
4How much oil production has Iraq cut recently?
Iraq has trimmed oil production by nearly 1.5 million barrels per day, with possible further cuts due to storage and export issues.
