据路透社5月19日报道，伊拉克石油部长Thamer Ghadhban表示，埃克森美孚5月18日从伊拉克南部的西库尔纳1号油田撤离其外籍雇员是“不可接受的，也是不合理的”。
Ghadhban在一份声明中说，“埃克森美孚撤离多名雇员的举措，目前暂时与伊拉克南部油田的安全局势和恐怖主义威胁无关，主要出于政治原因。”
Ghadhban还表示，埃克森美孚与伊拉克南部石油公司签订了长期合同，他在与埃克森美孚公司高管会面之前，已经致函埃克森美孚，要求其公司员工立即重返南部油田工作，以改善油田现状。 伊拉克政府官员表示，埃克森美孚已从伊拉克南部国家石油公司中撤出了所有外籍雇员，约60人。
王佳晶 摘译自 路透社
原文如下：
Iraq oil minister says Exxon Mobil evacuation of foreign staff 'unacceptable and unjustified'
Exxon Mobil’s decision to evacuate its foreign staff from the West Qurna 1 oilfield in southern Iraq “The withdrawal of multiple employees - despite their small number - temporarily has nothing to do with the security situation or threats in the oilfields in of southern Iraq, but it’s for political reasons,” Ghadhban said in a statement.
Ghadhban said he sent a letter to Exxon Mobil asking for the company to immediately return to work at the southern oil field, ahead of a meeting with company executives later this week. Exxon Mobil, which has a long term contract to improve the oil field on behalf of Iraq’s state South Oil Company, withdrew all foreign staff, around 60 people, Iraqi officials have said.