Kuwait says it has cleaned up most of Al Zour oil spill

Emergency workers had managed to clean up “the major part” of an oil spill near the joint KuwaitiSaudi Al Khafji oilfield in the Gulf, an official said yesterday.

“The major portion of the main oil spill has been removed,” said Sheikh Talal Al Khaled Al Sabah, spokesman for the country’s oil sector.

On Saturday, Sheikh Talal had said the Kuwait Oil Company, the Kuwait National Petroleum Company, the ministry of electricity and water, the environment public authority and other oil companies were working together to contain the leak.

“They are now focusing their efforts on protecting water outlets near the country’s northern and southern Al Zour power and water stations,” Sheikh Talal said.

There were no official reports on the source or size of the spill in the waters off Kuwait’s southern coast, near the joint Kuwaiti-Saudi offshore Al Khafji oilfield.

But Kuwaiti media quoted local oil experts yesterday as saying the spill originated from an old 50-kilometre pipeline from the oilfield.

The experts estimated that as many as 35,000 barrels of crude oil may have leaked into the waters off Al Zour, where Kuwait is building a huge US$30 billion (Dh110.2bn) oil complex that includes a 615,000-barrel-per-day refinery.

Emergency teams have sealed off two power and water desalination plants in the area to prevent contamination.

Kuwait depends largely on desalination for its fresh water supplies.

Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, located south of Kuwait along the Gulf coast, said slicks from the spill had not reached their waters.