OIL WELL FIRE CONTROL AND RESERVOIR PRESSURES

File: cia_70556_70555_02.txt
Page: 02
Total Pages: 2
Subject: OIL WELL FIRE CONTROL AND RESERVOIR PRESSURES  
Not Finally Evaluated Intelligence 
 
TO FACILITATE ELECTRONIC ACCESS, THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN 
REFORMATTED TO ELIMINATE INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT PERTAIN 
TO GULF WAR ILLNESS ISSUES OR THAT IS CLASSIFIED. A COPY OF 
THIS REDACTED DOCUMENT, IN ORIGINAL FORMAT, IS AVAILABLE ON 
REQUEST. 
 
3. KUWAIT OIL OFFICIALS HAVE ORDERED THE DRILLING OF 22 NEW 
WELLS AND ARE BEGINNING A PROGRAM OF RECONDITIONING THE 
OLDER WELLS DAMAGED BY FIRE.  WHILE THE INTENT IS TO RESTORE 
PRODUCTION CAPACITY IN THE SHORTEST PERIOD OF TIME, OIL WELL 
CAPACITY WILL NOT BE THE INHIBITOR TO PRODUCTION EXPANSION, 
BUT RATHER THE STATUS OF THE OIL GATHERING CENTERS.  PRIOR 
TO THE IRAQI INVASION KUWAIT HAD 26 GATHERING CENTERS IN 
OPERATION, BUT AS A RESULT OF IRAQI DESTRUCTION, 
ONLY THREE GATHERING CENTERS (GC) ARE STILL FUNCTIONAL.  GC-
9 AND GC-l0 IN THE AL-MAGWA FIELD ARE TWO OF THE THREE 
GATHERING CENTERS CURRENTLY FUNCTIONAL, AND MOST OF THE 
PRODUCTION AND DRILLING ACTIVITY HAS BEEN AROUND THESE 
CENTERS.         COMMENT: THE ABILITY OF KUWAIT To RESTORE 
PRE-WAR PRODUCTION LEVELS WILL DEPEND MORE ON THE LENGTH OF 
TIME REQUIRED TO RESTORE THE GATHERING CENTERS THAN ON 
ACTUAL WELL PRODUCTION.) 
 
4. IN RECENT WEEKS, FIREFIGHTERS HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME 
PROBLEMS IN MOVING REQUIRED EQUIPMENT To THE OPERATIONS 
SITES AND IN OBTAINING THE INVOICES AND PAPER WORK FOR 
RESUPPLY ACTIVITIES.  THE DELAYS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO KUWAIT'S 
GRADUAL RESTORATION OF ITS BUREAUCRACY AND THE INCREASING 
RED TAPE AND APPROVALS REQUIRED FOR VARIOUS ACTIVITIES, 
INCLUDING THE PROCUREMENT AND TRANSPORTATION OF PERSONNEL 
AND EQUIPMENT TO THE WELL LOCATIONS.