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Subject: STATUS OF OIL INDUSTRIES

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.







PAGE 001

FEB 91     CIA







CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY







COUNTRY:  KUWAIT/IRAQ



SUBJ:  STATUS OF KUWAITI PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES COMPLEX







TEXT:  1. CIRCA SEPTEMBER 1990

WAS SENT BY

THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT TO KUWAIT TO OVERSEE THE EMPTYING OF AMMONIA

STORAGE TANKS AT THE PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES COMPLEX (PIC). THE

PRIMARY CONCERN WAS THAT IRAQI GROUND TROOPS OCCUPYING KUWAIT WOULD

BE KILLED OR ENDANGERED IF THE AMMONIA TANKS RUPTURED.







2.          THE HIGHLY TOXIC AMMONIA IS CONSIDERED

FATAL AT 5,000 PARTS PER MILLION (PPM). FOR EXAMPLE, IF A RUPTURE

OCCURRED IN AN 80-TON TANKCAR FILLED WITH LIQUID AMMONIA, A LARGE

WHITE CLOUD WOULD DISPERSE FROM THE TANK. IF THE WIND WERE BLOWING

AT 15 MILES PER HOUR, PEOPLE WOULD BE KILLED TWO MILES AWAY BY THE

TOXIC FUMES. PEOPLE WOULD EXPERIENCE EYE AND THROAT IRRITATION AND

BURNING SKIN IF THE AMMONIA CONCENTRATION WAS LESS THAN 5.000 PPM.

AMMONIA IS NOT CONSIDERED HIGHLY FLAMMABLE.







3. IN LATE NOVEMBER 1990,







APPROXIMATELY 60 PERCENT OF THE CHLORINE PRODUCED

AT PIC WAS TRANSMITTED VIA PIPELINES DIRECTLY TO KUWAIT DESALINATION

PLANTS







BECAUSE OF

THE HIGH TOXICITY OF CHLORINE, DAMAGE TO THE CHLORINE PLANT, STORAGE

FACILITIES AND/OR TRANSMISSION LINES COULD BE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO

GROUND TROOPS.)



4.

TEMPORARY

PIPELINES HAD BEEN INSTALLED DIRECTLY TO THE SEA. THE PURPOSE WAS

TWOFOLD: TO CONTAMINATE THE WATER WITH OIL IN ORDER TO FOUL THE

ENGINES OF LANDING CRAFT AND TO SET THE OILY WATER AFIRE IN ORDER TO

BLOCK THE ATTACK OF GROUND FORCES DEPLOYED FROM THE LANDING CRAFT.







THE IRAQIS IN

KUWAIT WERE USING SEVERAL OTHER MEANS OF DEFENSE WHICH THEY DEVELOPED

DURING THE IRAN/IRAQ WAR. THEY INCLUDED: DIGGING TRENCHES WHICH

COULD BE FILLED WITH OIL AND SET AFIRE; BUILDING MAN-MADE LAKES AND

ELECTRIFYING THEM, AND FILLING TANKERS WITH OIL,

FOR

RELEASE AT STRATEGIC DEFENSIVE POSITIONS.







1.5 (C)

72019-72019

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