Afren shuts first Kurdish oilfield, shares drop

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil company Afren has suspended output at its Barda Rash oilfield in Iraqi Kurdistan, the first field to shut in the region as Islamist militants advance closer, weighing on shares of London-listed oil producers active there.

"Afren has taken the precautionary step to temporarily suspend operations at the Barda Rash field," the company said in a statement, adding it was withdrawing all non-essential staff from the field.