BAGHDAD- Iraq has awarded the Khashim Ahmer-injana exploration block in Diayala province close to the Iran border to United Arab Emirates-based Crescent Petroleum, an oil ministry official said on Thursday.

Crescent Petroleum was the only bidder with 19.99 percent share of production. The maximum set by the oil ministry was 20 percent, said Mahdy al-Ameedi, director general of Iraq's Petroleum Contracts and Licensing Directorate.

Iraq is offering 11 new blocks for exploration in border areas with Iran and Kuwait and in offshore Gulf waters.

(Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; writing by Ahmed Aboulenein; editing by Jason Neely) ((ahmed.aboulenein@thomsonreuters.com; +964 790 191 7021; Reuters Messaging: ahmed.aboulenein.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))