(MENAFN- Arab Times) The Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has started investigations to determine the actual causes of the recent gas leakage from an oil well in Al-Rawdhatain oil field, reports Al-Rai daily quoting sources.
Sources disclosed the leakage may have been caused by the breakdown of an excavator which belongs to Burgan Company for Well Drilling, Trading and Maintenance.
Meanwhile, Essa Bu Yabess, leader of the firefighters who extinguished the burning oil wells during the Iraqi invasion, believes there is 99 percent human error in the recent leakage and it is similar to the incident reported in 1978 during the excavation of the first oil well in Burgan.
He pointed out the leakage could have been prevented if the supervisor decided to burn the well when he felt the workers can no longer control it. He said they should not have waited for the gas to leak due to its dangerous effect on humans and the environment.
Moreover, sources confirmed the arrival of international experts to Kuwait on Thursday and they have agreed on closing the well. Sources added KOC has taken all the necessary steps to protect the neighboring oil facilities by drilling small pools filled with water to deal with the burning well which requires huge quantity of water.
Meanwhile, the Environment Public Authority (EPA) has looked into the alleged violations committed by an oil company, reports Al-Qabas daily quoting Inspection Team Head at EPA Mohammad Al-Enezi.
Al-Enezi said the team analyzed the standard operating procedures of the company to determine if they are in line with the environment protection regulations and if the company strictly complies with the directives of the Supreme Council for the Environment.
According to Al-Enezi, the company's work procedures are in line with the regulations despite the slow progress. He asserted the administrative changes had a positive impact on the work flow. He also urged the oil sector to coordinate with the authority and consider it a strategic partner in solving environmental problems. He added the authority has asked the oil sector to take the necessary precautionary measures to protect public health and the environment.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.