35,000-Barrel Oil Spill Prompts Urgent Cleanup In Kuwait
An oil spill into Kuwaiti waters prompted an emergency cleanup over the weekend, with media reports saying it all will be over this week. While some sources attributed the spill to a pipeline leak, estimating the amount that spilled into the Persian Gulf at 35,000 barrels, there has been no official confirmation on the size or cause of the accident.
The spill occurred near Ras al-Zour, in southern Kuwait, Reuters reports, where Kuwait National Petroleum Company is currently building the biggest oil refinery in the Middle East, capable of handling 615,000 barrels of crude daily and with US$11.5 billion in contracts. The project is worth US$30 billion.
The spill is also near an offshore field that is developed jointly by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, in their neutral zone. The field, Al Khafji, has a 50-km pipeline running to the coast and it was this pipeline that some industry experts said was the culprit for the spill.
The head of the Kuwaiti Environment Public Authority, Sheikh Abdullah al-Sabah, told the Associated Press, “There will be severe consequences to those responsible for this incident, and we will prosecute them.”
The cleanup measures prioritized nearby waterways, water facilities, and power plants, according to reports by Kuwait’s state news agency KUNA. Chevron, which operates fields in both Kuwaiti and Saudi waters, along with specialist firm Oil Spill Response Limited, are helping the Environment Public Authority in the cleanup.
Related News
Related News
- Phillips 66 to Shut LA Oil Refinery, Ending Major Gasoline Output Amid Supply Concerns
- FERC Sides with Williams in Texas-Louisiana Pipeline Dispute with Energy Transfer
- U.S. Appeals Court Blocks Kinder Morgan’s Tennessee Pipeline Permits
- ConocoPhillips Eyes Sale of $1 Billion Permian Assets Amid Marathon Acquisition
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
- U.S. LNG Export Growth Faces Uncertainty as Trump’s Tariff Proposal Looms, Analysts Say
- Marathon Oil to Lay Off Over 500 Texas Workers Ahead of ConocoPhillips Merger
- Valero Considers All Options, Including Sale, for California Refineries Amid Regulatory Pressure
- Another Major U.S. Oil Refinery Shutting Down as Lyondell Confirms Houston Closure
- Chevron CEO Wirth Under Fire as Hess Deal Delay Drags Down Stock Performance
Comments