BAGHDAD- Iraq's government has authorised the oil ministry to sign an initial agreement with Dutch maritime services company Boskalis to build an offshore oil export installation, it said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Tuesday his government was seeking to diversify export routes.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; Editing by Edmund Blair) ((ahmed.aboulenein@tr.com; +964 790 191 7021; Reuters Messaging: ahmed.aboulenein.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))