Iraq starts exporting Kurdish oil - official

ARBIL, Iraq Feb 3 (Reuters) - Iraq's North Oil Company started exporting crude on Thursday from the Kurdish region's Tawke oilfield through the pipeline to Turkey, a senior company official said.

"This morning the oil from Tawke field started to move through the strategic export pipeline to Ceyhan," the senior official said, asking not to be identified.

He said exports from Tawke were expected to rise to 50,000 barrels per day in the next two to three days. (Reporting by Shamal Aqrawi; Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad; Writing by Michael Christie; Editing by James Jukwey)