Fourteen firms interested in Kuwait oil lakes deal

09 February 2011

State moves to deal with environmental damage caused by Iraqi retreat in 1991

International engineering and construction firms have expressed their interest in a deal to provide soil remediation services for state-upstream operator, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), sources close to the deal tell MEED.

At least 14 companies have purchased prequalification documents from the company’s Ahmadi offices. The deadline for submission is 14 February. The companies include:

  • Aecom Technology (US)
  • Bauer (Germany)
  • TCI Environment (US)
  • Dekonta (Russia)
  • Dema Environmental (Belgium)
  • Green Group (Egypt)
  • Saipem (Italy)
  • GS Engineering & Construction (South Korea)
  • SAR (Norway)
  • Tetra (US)
  • Delham General Trading and Contracting Company (local)
  • Teri India Middle East Company (India)
  • Al-Thurya Company (local)
  • Canadian Oil Recovery & Remediation Enterprise (Canada)

KOC has also approached consultants to manage the project, which involves the repair of environmental damage caused by the 1990-91 Gulf war. The deadline for prequalification was set at 1 February (MEED 24:12:10).

Numerous oil lakes were formed as retreating Iraqi troops set fire to more than 900 oil wellheads throughout the emirate. The oil congealed into lakes, threatening to contaminate water supplies and cause carcinogenic air pollution. Following liberation, KOC set about draining the oil lakes that were created by the gushing oil before the wells were finally capped.

Over time, the oil lakes have formed a mixture of oil, sand and highly concentrated salts as a result of using seawater in extinguishing the oil-well fires after the war.  A total of 2,400 lakes cover an area of almost 50 square kilometres. The situation is further complicated by the presence of unexploded ordinance, left behind by Iraqi forces around these areas.

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