Kuwait is calling in more muscle to help kill its wild wells.
In the latest action, Kuwait Oil Co. (KOC) let well control contracts to Abel Engineering/Well Control Inc., Houston, and China Petroleum Engineering Construction Co. (CPEC). Abel is the sixth North American well control company called to the scene, while CPEC is the first summoned from the East.
In addition, the service responsible for combating well fires and blowouts in the U.S.S.R.'s Azerbaijan oil fields signed an agreement with Kuwait's government, apparently involving a contract valued at more than $100 million, to extinguish fires at 150 Kuwaiti wells, reported Eastern Bloc Energy, a publication of Eastern Bloc Research Ltd., Newton Kyme, U.K. There were no further details on this contract, apparently the first of its kind with the Soviets.
More help likely is on the way.
Oil Minister Hammud Abdullah al-Ruqbah said Kuwait is negotiating with companies in Iran, U.K., France, Soviet Union, and Romania for well control assistance. He made the disclosure at the July 15 signing of the CPEC contract in Kuwait City.
At that time, 213 wells had been killed, enabling production of 170,000-180,000 b/d of oil. Firefighters told the western press last week 248 wells had been brought under control.
ABEL CONTRACT
Abel's contract with KOC calls for well control services in unspecified fields.
Last week, Abel was crating equipment and planning to send one crew to Kuwait to join the well control effort.
Among the items Abel plans to ship to Kuwait is a self-propelled, remote controlled, hydraulically actuated Athey wagon dubbed the "Abelizer" by company president Bill Abel. The company said the Abelizer is safer and more reliable than conventional Athey wagons because it can be controlled by one man far from the wellhead.
Abel also plans to send pumps, pipes, water monitors, and a conventional Athey wagon to Kuwait. The company hopes to mobilize men and equipment early this month.
Although not yet proven in the field, Abel said the Abelizer can function as a crane to lower wellhead assemblies onto wild wells or can be fitted with a forklift yoke for lifting in a horizontal position. Its lifting capacity is rated to 30 tons when used as a crane and to 15,000 lb when the boom is in a horizontal position.
Crews also can fit it with a spike to chip debris accumulating around a blowout or with a rake to remove loose material.
Red Adair Co. and Boots & Coots Inc., both of Houston, Wild Well Control Inc., Spring, Tex., and Safety Boss Ltd., Calgary, were the first North American fire fighters to battle Kuwait's wild wells. Those companies reported killing more than one third of 732 wells damaged or set ablaze last spring by fleeing Iraqi troops (OGJ, July 22, p. 112).
Kuwait later hired Cudd Pressure Control Inc., a unit of RPC Energy Services Inc., Atlanta; and a U.K. group made up of Amec, Wimpey, and Taylor Woodrow to join the well control campaign.
CPEC CONTRACT
China Features' Xu Yihe reported CPEC will send to Kuwait a team consisting of 60 experienced fire fighters from the Sichuan Oil Administration in Southwest China.
CPEC's contract requires the team to snuff 30 wells in 6 months. Kuwait's al-Ruqbah told Li Lanqing, China's minister of foreign economic relations and trade who signed the contract for CPEC, the agreement may be extended until all wells are under control if KOC is satisfied with CPEC's performance.
A six member team left China for Kuwait July 18 to inspect the targeted wells. Fire fighting efforts are to begin early this month, based on a plan drawn up by 10 Chinese well control specialists who surveyed more than 200 wild wells in Kuwait last March.
Measures will include well kills and drilling of relief wells,
said Sun Zhenchun. He headed the 10 member survey team. Chinese fire fighters also will dig holding tanks and lay water supply lines to the Persian Gulf.
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