USING THE OILFIELDS IN KUWAIT 20 OCT 90

File: 100896_aug96_decls1_0001.txt
Page: 0001
Total Pages: 2

Subject: USING THE OILFIELDS IN KUWAIT  20 OCT 90                        

Unit: ARCENT      

Parent Organization: CENTCOM     

Box ID: BX000457

Folder Title: TACTICAL OPNS CENTER LOGS-MSG FILE LOGS 21-22 OCT 90                                            

Document Number:         45

Folder SEQ  #:          8






                                        UNCLASS
                                                 IFIED





                                       FACT PAPER
 5 U.S.C. 552 (b)(1)                 (information)
            SUB,TECT: Using the oilfield@ in Kuwait               20 Oct 90
            as a Defensive Weapon. (dt/C:\USR\TRIMGLE\OIL.111)








            2.                                     virtually all wellheads in"
            the Burgan and Kuwait West oil fields are rigged with explosives.
            These explosives are placed around the lower valves on the
                                                                            4 0
            "Christmas Trees" (wellhead piping). The explosive is about',.     -
            pounds of "PE-4A (KIBA) 11, with one electrical blasting cap. -,The
            explosive charge is tamped with sand bags. The wires run 400' to
            500 meters to the burning pit associated with each wdllhoad,:but
            are not connected to a fixed detonator. (A burning pit is a small
            pit designed to take small amounts of oil diverted during
            maintenance on the wellhead piping.) An Iraqi Army engineer unit,.,I..
            is stationed at the oilfield main gathering centers to handle this
            demolition mission. When maintenance checks are performed on these
            wellheads, the engineers accompany the maintenance crew and def use
            the explosive -charge before work is begun.
                            icate there are explosives rigged to other oil
            facilities, such as refineries And processing centers; all part of
            the "hostage" aspect of the oilf ields. ANALYTICAL NOTE: The Iraqi
            plan with these charges seems to be to individually (or
            selectively) detonate these wells rather than blow them all at once
            f rom a centnal location.  A fire in the Burgan oilfield, 30 km
            south of Kuwait International Airport, will burn with tremendous
       heat and energy, requiring a Red Adair-type operation many months
            to put out.' If several are burning in close proximity, oil experts
            speculate that many attempts and several years may be needed to
            extinguish the flames.
            3.                                                 the Iraqis are
            "extremely" interested in the gas-to oil-ratio in the West Kuwait
            oil field (which surrounds Al Jaber air base) .        The gas in
            question, Hydrogen Sulfide, is poisonous.     In small amounts it
            smells like rotten eggs and can hospitalize people who inhale it.

                                             I              5 U.S.C. 552 (b)(1)




                                        UNCLASSIFIED

Document 2 f:/Week-31/BX000457/TACTICAL OPNS CENTER LOGS-MSG FILE LOGS 21-22 OCT 90/using the oilfields in kuwait 20 oct 90:1004961330244
Control Fields 17
File Room = aug96_declassified
File Cabinet = Week-31
Box ID = BX000457
Unit = ARCENT
Parent Organization = CENTCOM
Folder Title = TACTICAL OPNS CENTER LOGS-MSG FILE LOGS 21-22 OCT 90
Folder Seq # = 8
Subject = USING THE OILFIELDS IN KUWAIT 20 OCT 90
Document Seq # = 45
Document Date =
Scan Date =
Queued for Declassification = 01-JAN-1980
Short Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Long Term Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Permanent Referral = 01-JAN-1980
Non-Health Related Document = 01-JAN-1980
Declassified = 04-OCT-1996