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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