File: 062096_cia_68490_68490_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 1
Subject: SABOTAGE OF OIL FIELDS 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 SEP 90 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY COUNTRY: KUWAIT SUBJ: SABOTAGE OF OILFIELDS AND ASSESSMENT OF POSSIBLE RESULTANT DAMAGE DOI: EARLY AUGUST 1990 2. DURING AUGUST 1990, WELLS AND DRILLING RIGS IN THE AL-MANAGEESH FIELD WERE WIRED WITH EXPLOSIVES BY IRAQI SOLDIERS. DURING THE SAME PERIOD, IRAQI SOLDIERS SPENT ONE FULL NIGHT WIRING WELLS IN THE AL-BURGAN FIELD 7. IF 10 PERCENT OF THE WELLS WIRED FOR SABOTAGE ACTUALLY BLEW OUT AND CAUGHT FIRE, IT WOULD BE A MAJOR PROBLEM REQUIRING INTERNATIONAL FIREFIGHTING COOPERATION FOR TWO TO THREE YEARS. 8. REGARDING AN ASSOCIATED HYDROGEN SULFIDE PROBLEM RESULTING FROM A MARRAT WELL BLOWOUT, IF SEVERAL WELLS WERE BLOWN UP, THE GAS STREAM COULD BE DANGEROUS, BUT ONLY IF THE WELLS DID NOT CATCH FIRE. THE PROBLEM WOULD BE COMPOUNDED IF THERE WERE NO WIND IN THE AREA SINCE HYDROGEN SULFIDE IS HEAVIER THAN NATURAL GAS AND HAS A TENDENCY TO COLLECT IN LOW-LYING AREAS. THE HYDROGEN SULFIDE PROBLEM ONLY EXISTS IN THE DEEP TEST WELLS LOCATED IN SOUTH AND WEST KUWAIT. DEEP WELLS IN NORTH KUWAIT WERE DRILLED WITH THE EXPECTATION OF FINDING HYDROGEN SULFIDE, BUT NONE EVER WAS.) 1.5 (c) 68490-68490
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