By OGJ Editors
HOUSTON, Mar. 25 -- The US Army Corps of Engineers awarded Halliburton Co.'s engineering and construction subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root (KBR) a contract to assess and extinguish oil well fires in Iraq.
The initial task involves hazard and operational assessment, extinguishing oil well fires, capping oil well blowouts, and responding to any oil spills. The firefighting portion of the work was subcontracted to Houston-based companies Boots & Coots International Well Control Inc. and Wild Well Control Inc.
Following this task, KBR will perform emergency repair, as directed, to provide for the continuity of operations of the Iraqi oil infrastructure. Previously, KBR developed a contingency plan at the US Department of Defense's request.
This contract will be used for an interim period until the Army Corps of Engineers procures additional contracts to provide a broad range of services required to support full execution of the contingency plan.
In 1991, Halliburton crews brought 320 wells in Kuwait under control in less time than was expected following the Persian Gulf War. Originally scheduled as an 18-month project, Halliburton's crew extinguished 90% of the blowouts within 1 year. Boots & Coots did similar work in Kuwait.