IRAQI OIL WELL/GAS LEAKS

File: 061896_cia_64117_64117_01.txt
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Total Pages: 1
Subject: IRAQI OIL WELL/GAS LEAKS

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.





JAN 91       DIRECTOR 479926







A MAP SHOWING AREAS OF POTENTIAL DEADLY GAS LEAKS

SHOWS PRODUCING OILFIELDS IN KUWAIT; AREAS

WITHIN EACH OILFIELD THAT CONTAIN WELLS THAT COULD LEAK HYDROGEN

SULFIDE OR SULFUR DIOXIDE; AND THE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS CONCENTRATIONS

(IN PARTS PER MILLION) OF THESE GASES ON PEOPLE WHO ARE UNPROTECTED.







ALL OILFIELDS IN KUWAIT HAVE OILWELLS WHICH, IF DAMAGED, COULD

BE LEAKING OIL AND NATURAL GAS. NATURAL GAS, PRIMARILY METHANE,

FORMS EXPLOSIVE MIXTURES WITH AIR AND IS EASILY IGNITED. SOME OF

THESE WELLS MAY BLOW OUT AND CATCH FIRE. A LEAKING WELL CAN BE

IDENTIFIED BY THE OIL LEAKING FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREE, THE COMPLEX

ARRRANGEMENT OF VALVES THAT RISES ONE OR MORE METERS OUT OF THE

GROUND AT THE WELL. OIL COULD ALSO BE LEAKING FROM THE BASE OF THE

CHRISTMAS TREE CALLED THE WELLHEAD. IF THE WLLL IS BLOWING OUT, A

GEYSER OF OIL, GAS, SAND, AND WATER WILL BE EASILY VISIBLE FROM A

DISTANCE. THE GREATER THE FORCE OF THE BLOWOUT, THE HIGHER THE

GEYSER. THE WELL MAY HAVE CAUGHT FIRE, IN WHICH CASE THE GEYSER

TURNS INTO A COLUMN OF FLAME, SMOKE, OR BOTH.

SEVERAL OILFIELDS, OR PARTS OF OILFIELDS, CONTAIN OILWELLS WHICH

MAY BE LEAKING NOT ONLY METHANE, BUT ALSO HYDROGEN SULFIDE. THIS GAS

IS DEADLY AND BRIEF EXPOSURE AT SUFFICIENT CONCENTRATIONS MAY BRING

ABOUT RESPIRATORY AND CARDIAC PARALYSIS. IF THE WELLS IN THE SHADED

AREAS SHOWN ON THE MAP ARE LEAKING (BUT NOT BURNING) THEN HYDROGEN

SULFIDE WILL PROBABLY BE PRESENT. HYDROGEN SULFIDE BURNS EASILY AND

ALSO FORMS EXPLOSIVE MIXTURES IN AIR. IF THESE WELLS CATCH FIRE, THE

HYDROGEN SULFIDE WILL BE CONVERTED TO SULFUR DIOXIDE, WHICH IS ALSO A

POISONOUS GAS, BUT NOT NEARLY AS DEADLY AS HYDROGEN SULFIDE.

OIL INDUSTRY PERSONNEL WHO WORK IN HYDROGEN-SULFIDE CONTAMINATED

AREAS USE A SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS. WE DO NOT KNOW IF

THE COMMONLY-USED MILITARY PROTECTIVE MASKS ARE EFFECTIVE IN A

HYDROGEN SULFIDE CONTAMINATED ENVIRONMENT. (U)







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