TASK OF FIGHTING KUWAIT'S WILD WELLS GROWING

The enormity of the task in combating wild wells in Kuwait continues to grow. Although wild well specialists are making progress on extinguishing burning wells, Kuwait faces the dilemma of having to ignite damaged wells that are not afire but spewing crude and hydrogen sulfide. About four of an estimated 600 wells burning were extinguished by Red Adair Co. as of presstime last week, according to newswire service reports. Bechtel Group Inc. has let contracts for the infrastructure needed to

April 1, 1991

3 min read

The enormity of the task in combating wild wells in Kuwait continues to grow.

Although wild well specialists are making progress on extinguishing burning wells, Kuwait faces the dilemma of having to ignite damaged wells that are not afire but spewing crude and hydrogen sulfide.

About four of an estimated 600 wells burning were extinguished by Red Adair Co. as of presstime last week, according to newswire service reports.

Bechtel Group Inc. has let contracts for the infrastructure needed to support wild well control efforts in Kuwait.

Italy's Saipem SpA will lay a series of pipelines to bring seawater from the coast to the burning oil wells.

The contract also provides for new oil pipelines to be laid at a later stage.

Bechtel also placed contracts for utilities in camps and a field hospital to be installed near the burning oil wells.

Meanwhile, oil wells are now ablaze in Iraq as a result of the civil war there.

WILD WELLS

Kuwaiti Oil Minister Raschid al-Ameeri said his government is giving priority to the nonburning wild wells that have created huge lakes of crude in Kuwait.

Officials have identified 35 such wells. Of those, five or six were emitting H2S. Specialists ignited two of the wild wells flowing H2S last week, eliminating the H2S as a threat.

The wild wells also are releasing sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nickel, carbon particulates, and oil droplets into the atmosphere that some scientists fear could linger in the atmosphere for a long time.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.N. World Health Organization have sent teams to Kuwait to monitor the pollution.

Al-Ameeri said the situation had not yet deteriorated to the point that some Kuwaiti cities and towns might have to be evacuated.

The lakes of crude pose additional hazards to firefighting crews as they spill over highways, making access to the wild wells difficult.

A greater danger looms with the possibility the crude lakes could ignite, especially if the flowing crude reaches residential areas. Crews were building sand berms to contain the crude lakes at presstime.

Al-Ameeri also confirmed damage has been done to reservoirs from water coning in the wild wells.

IRAQ'S BURNING WELLS

Seven to 10 wells were reported on fire after Iraqi forces loyal to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein made air and land attacks on Kurdish forces who have taken over the oil town of Kirkuk and most of Iraq's northern oil fields.

Kurdish guerrilla leader Jalal Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan told Reuters government helicopters on Mar. 20 bombed oil wells the rebels captured the day before.

Kirkuk area fields accounted for about one third of Iraq's production before Saddam's blitzkrieg takeover of Kuwait.

Occupation of the oil fields by the Kurds has raised a new obstacle to the early restoration of oil exports provided Iraq accepts any United Nations resolution for a permanent ceasefire.

Before the Kurds overran the northern producing operations, Iraq would have been able to resume exports at around 800,000 b/d through the pipeline link to the Mediterranean via Turkey (OGJ, Mar. 18, p. 40).