US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT1020

C O N F I D E N T I A L KUWAIT 001020 
 
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 21, 2003 
 
REF: KUWAIT 1010 AND PREVIOUS 
 
Classified By: DCM Frank C. Urbancic for reasons 1.5. (B) and (D) 
 
1. (C) Detailed breakdown of Kuwaiti oil production is not 
available today.  A senior KPC official told EconChief today 
that production in the previous 24 hours reached 2.5 million 
barrels.  He said that loading operations were proceeding as 
normal, although there had been some movements of tankers in 
anchorage areas overnight due to due to Iraqi missile 
launches that landed in the Persian Gulf due East of Kuwait's 
refinery complex and loading facilities at Shuaibah. 
 
2. (C) Because of those missile attacks, KNPC has shut down 
one of three LPG trains and is reducing its refinery 
throughput from 900,000 barrels per day to 625,000 barrels 
per day.  The official explained that this will allow for a 
much safer and more controlled shutdown in case missile 
attacks or other incidents require it. 
 
3.(C) The official also noted that the shutdown of the LPG 
train means that KPC is now flaring more gas in its 
production fields (adding to the smoke generated by oil well 
fires now burning in Southern Iraq). 
 
4.(C) Finally, the official noted that KOC had received a 
request directly from U.S. military officials to use water 
supplies in Kuwait's Northern fields for use in fire fighting 
efforts inside Iraq, a request KOC granted. 
 
5.(U) Local press reports today note the impacts of Iraqi 
missiles off the coast of the Shuaibah Industrial Area, and 
quote Saad al-Shuaib, Chairman of the Kuwait National 
Petroleum Corporation as saying that all operations in the 
Industrial Area continue as normal and that no damage was 
reported as a result of the attacks. 
JONES