KUWAIT OIL UPDATE -- MARCH 23, 2003

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001049

SIPDIS

STATE FOR TASK FORCE 1 - EB ACTION OFFICER
STATE ALSO FOR EB/ESC AND NEA/ARP
TREASURY FOR OASIA
USDOC FOR 4520/MAC/AME
DOE FOR IE - L. COBURN AND C. WASHINGTON

E.O. 12958: DECL: X5, X6
TAGS: EPET KU
SUBJECT: KUWAIT OIL UPDATE -- MARCH 23, 2003

REF: KUWAIT 1036 AND PREVIOUS

Classified By: DCM Frank C. Urbancic for reasons 1.5. (B) and (D)


1. (C) A Senior KOC official tells the Embassy that the KOC
firefighting team is now on site at the Ratqa Field camp in
Northern Kuwait. They visited the site of burning oil wells
in the Rumaila field in Southern Iraq yesterday, and intend
to enter Iraq again tomorrow to begin the work of
extinguishing the fires. A separate KOC official said that
the firm will likely bring the Ratqa field back on line soon
to reduce pressure in the field (which straddles the border
into Iraq) and make the fire fighting efforts easier). (N.B.
Other KPC officials had reported that no fields were shut
in.)


2. (C) Following is unedited data set received from Kuwait
Petroleum Corporation afternoon of 3/23/03. Explanatory
comments follow at para 3.

Begin Report

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation
Daily Crude Production
All figures in bbls

This report covers activities from 0500 3/22/03 to 0500
3/23/00

Total Kuwait
Production 2,479,035

KOC Proper:
South East: 1,380,453
West: 346,192
North: 412,291
Total: 2,138,936

Wafra Joint Operations:
R/B to KOC 141,138
R/B to KNPC 0
R/B to SAT 0
R/B total 141,138
Eocene 37,961

KGOC:
Khafji 141,000
Hout 20,000

KEC Receipt 2,261,341 (API 30.8, Salt PTB 10.8)
KEC Stock 5,181,000
KEC Ullage 9,012,731

End Report

3.(C) Explanatory Comments:

Wafra Joint Operations refer to onshore concessions in
Saudi-Kuwait divided zone operated by Saudi Arabian Texaco
(SAT). R/B refers to the two producing reservoirs -- Ratawi
and Burgan.

KOC is Kuwait Oil Company
KNPC is Kuwait National Petroleum Corporation

KGOC is the Kuwaiti successor to Arabian Oil Company (AOC),
which previously operated a concession in the offshore
portions of the Saudi-Kuwait divided zone -- AOC still
operates the fields under a service agreement.

KEC refers to Kuwait Export Crude, the country's export
blend. Salt PTB refers to pounds of salt per thousand
barrels of crude oil.
JONES