ARABIALINK Daily News – KUWAIT – Excerpts from International Media Reports
[Links to full articles were active on the date posted here]
Kuwait May Decide on New Oil Refinery by September [Jun 1]
“Kuwait’s top oil policy body may decide by the end of September whether to build a fourth oil refinery to meet domestic fuel demand and for export after political opposition quashed the project last year. The Supreme Petroleum Council will review technical committee findings on whether to resume the project at its next meeting, the committee’s head and council member Imad Alatiqi said in an interview in Bahrain today. The council could make a decision on the plan from this month through September, he said. Kuwait, holder of the world’s fourth-largest crude oil reserves, put on hold a plan for what would be the Persian Gulf country’s fourth refinery in March 2009 after the government canceled contracts following political opposition. Costs for the project had almost quadrupled by 2007 to 4 billion Kuwaiti dinars ($13.7 billion), Alatiqi said. “The economics of the project had changed,” leading a government audit committee to object to the plan, he said. “We have to address all the comments and questions of the audit committee or it won’t be worthwhile relaunching a project with any loopholes or problems in the plan.”..” [Complete Report]
Kuwait, Iraq Likely to Reach Deal on Border Wells [Jun 1]
“Chairman and Managing Director of Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) Sami Al-Rushaid announced Tuesday that Kuwait and Iraq would reach an agreement on the exploitation of the oil wells on their border areas soon. Speaking to reporters after the award ceremony of the Chairman’s Award for Health, Safety and Environment, Al-Rushaid said the two countries set up a joint panel to probe the border issue with KOC leading the Kuwaiti side. He downplayed concerns about the impact of Iraq’s exploitation of its southern oil wells on Kuwait’s interests, saying that Kuwait’s two northern wells of Al-Retqa and Al-Abdaly account for small percentage of the country’s oil production. The contract, signed by KOC and Shell on the development of Jurassic oil gas wells in northern Kuwait, has been brought into force recently,” he said, noting that experts from both sides are supervising the project..” [Complete Report]
Kuwait Extends Hours Women Allowed to Work [Jun 1]
“Females working in certain sectors, like banking and hospitality, in Kuwait will be able to work up until midnight under new Labour Ministry rules, it has been reported. Female journalists, medical workers and lawyers will also be able to work nightshifts until this time, the Kuwait Times reports. Dr. Mohammad Al-Afasi, Labour Minister, announced the new rules, according to the report, citing Al-Watan newspaper. However, women will be banned from working in physically demanding roles, including handling petrochemicals and in manufacturing roles where chemicals are used, the report said. The new rules also cover an outside work ban for both men and women between 12 noon and 4pm from June 1 until the end of August because of the extreme summer heat..” [Complete Report]
