Union calls for ‘full Kuwaitization’ of oil sector

KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’s building. — KUNA

KUWAIT: Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) formed a special committee to promote a number of oil sector officials to the positions of deputy CEOs and managing directors at KPC and its subsidiaries. In this regard, informed sources said that the committee started interviewing candidates who applied for up to six vacancies, adding that the total number of qualified candidates is around 100, while the number of those matching the conditions range between 25 and 35.

Commenting on this topic, Chairman of Oil and Petrochemicals Industries Workers Federation Mohammed Al-Hajri urged Oil Minister Bakheet Al-Rasheedi, who also serves as KPC Chairman, to make public the vacancies available in all oil companies, and to set short and long term plans to appoint Kuwaiti young candidates while opening recruitment for national labor.

Hajri stressed that the federation would always fight for the rights of the oil sector's workers. Among those rights is the 'Kuwaitization' of oil sector employees, which Hajri argues would help solve the problem of unemployment amongst Kuwaiti youth.

Furtehr, Hajri stressed that major oil companies and the mega projects that are due to be launched should be utilized in creating more job opportunities for Kuwaiti engineers, technicians, security and firefighting staffs. He also called for mandating contractors to create job opportunities for Kuwaiti citizens, instead of depending 'on less-costing unskilled foreigners'. "Our federation will keep working until the entire oil sector is Kuwaitized," he underlined, noting that the federation would form a committee to list vacancies and announce them to the public.

Jurassic gas

In other news, KPC is currently working on developing the production of Jurassic gas at Sabriya oil fields, according to sources who noted that this type of gas can only be used for energy because of its high temperature of 1,500 C degrees. "This makes it impossible to use in petrochemical industries that require gases with temperatures no more than 1,000 degrees," the sources explained.

Furthermore, the sources added that Jurassic gas was being traced in four spots, noting that it would be pumped to Kuwait Integrated Petrochemical Industries Company (KIPIC) factories to be liquidized. Meanwhile, the sources said that Kuwait is unlikely to reactivate the 40-year old Iraqi gas pipeline connecting southern Iraq to Al-Rumailah filed in Roudhatain in order to import Iraqi gas, due to technical problems. "Building a new line will be less costing than reactivating the old line," the sources underlined.

Mubarak Port

The Ministry of Public Works' (MPW) assistant undersecretary for mega projects Hosam Al-Tahous sent a letter yesterday to Kuwait Municipality concerning the land allocated to the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Port project, requesting more information in order in order to start the first phase of the project without any delay. He added that MPW had so far received no response.

Water surplus

The Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) has no future plans to import fresh water from any country to provide water supplies in times of distress, a ministry insider said. "This talk about importing water contradicts with the fact that we already have water surpluses that can be used to provide our GCC neighbors when needed," said the source who spoke on the condition of anonymity. He noted that facing the threat of water shortage is currently being studied within the GCC water linkage strategic plans. He added that Kuwait had officially contacted Saudi Arabia to initially start linkage before connecting with other Gulf Cooperation Council states. Regarding Al-Nuwaseeb water plant, the source stressed that a touristic project still prevents the start of the project, and stressed that MEW is currently studying re-locating the plant.

By A Saleh