Kuwait Oil Company Declares State of Emergency After an Oil Spill

Kuwait Oil Company declared a state of emergency on Monday after an oil spill on land in the western part of Kuwait.

The company spokesman Qusai Al-Amer said, "no injuries have occurred as a result of the leak and production has not been affected.” There were no toxic fumes from the oil spill and the oil spill happened on land, but not in a residential area, however the exact location of the spill is unknown. 

Al-Amer assured that teams were dispatched to determine the source of the leak and to contain the effects of the spill.

Kuwaiti oil expert AbdulSamee Bahbahani speculated that the spill stemmed from an oil well after seeing images on social media. He said, "I think the well was closed improperly, which led to erosion of the pipes and the cement cover, as well as an increase in pressure."

Kuwait Oil Company previously reported oil leaks in its fields in 2020 and 2016.