BAGHDAD, March 27 (Reuters) - Saboteurs blew up one of Iraq's two main oil export pipelines in southern Iraq on Thursday, a Southern Oil Company official told Reuters.

"This morning saboteurs blew up the pipeline transporting crude from Zubair 1 by placing bombs beneath it. The pipeline was severely damaged," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Crude exports will be greatly affected because this is one of two main pipelines transporting crude to the southern terminals. We will lose about a third of crude exported through Basra," he said. Iraq exported 1.54 million barrels per day from Basra in February.

(Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed)

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