Kuwait Oil Company

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Kuwait Oil Company's Responsibilities under the KPC's Umbrella involve the exploration, drilling and production of oil and gas within the State of Kuwait. The Company is also involved in the storage of crude oil and delivery to tankers for export

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Significant Dates + expand all 1921 - 1950 1934 Kuwait Oil Company formed by Anglo-Persian Oil Company (now the British Petroleum Company) and Gulf Oil Corporation (now Chevron Corporation) 1935 - 1936 Geophysical exploration carried out. The first exploration well drilled at Bahrah. February 1938 Oil discovered at Burgan 1938 - 1942 Eight more wells drilled at Burgan. Operations suspended until the end of the war. 1945 Operations resumed. 1946 The first sea-loading line laid. June 30th, 1946 The first cargo of crude oil exported. 1946 - 1949 The South Pier and a 25,000 barrels-a-day refinery (later raised to 30,000 barrels-a-day), with a power station and sea water distillation plant, constructed at Mina Al-Ahmadi. A complete township, including administrative headquarters, workshops, residential quarters and amenities built in Ahmadi. 1950 - 1965 1951 - 1953 Drilling extended to Magwa and Ahmadi ridge. Production started from the Magwa/Ahmadi field. 1955 Oil discovered at Raudhatain in North Kuwait. 1956 Inaguration of KOC Display Center. 1959 Oil discovered at Minagish. June 1959 The North Pier commissioned. April 27th, 1960 Ahmadi Hospital inaugurated. May 1962 Oil was discovered in Umm - Gudair. 1965 - 1977 Dec 1965 The first Liquid Gas Shipment was exported from Mina Al-Ahmadi. July 1966 Participation Agreement was signed between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia for dividing the neutral zone. July 1967 Inaguration of the Natural Gas Injection Planet in Managish. 1967 Pipe lines were installed from Umm-Gudair to KNPC refinary in Shuaibah. October 1968 Expansion of Mina Al-Ahmadi loading facilities completed. The first two mammoth tankers of 326,000 tons DWT. loaded at the Sea Island terminal 10 miles off-shore. February 1969 His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, The Amir of Kuwait, inaugurated the Sea Island terminal and associated facilities. October 1970 The One Billionth barrel of oil refined at KOC refinery. 1970 Four new gathering centres commissioned bringing the total number of gathering centres to 25. March 1974 KOC organized the first Ahmadi Sports Day. 1974 A participation agreement ratified by the Kuwait National Assembly giving 60% control of the operations of KOC to the State of Kuwait, the remaining 40% being divided equally between BP and Gulf. March 1975 Kuwait Government took over the remaining 40% shares thus assuming full control of the Company. November 1976 The Gas Project foundations laying ceremony took place under the auspices of H.H. the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Salim Al-Sabah. 1977 The first exploratory deep well was drilled in Burgan with a total depth of 20,000 feet. 1978 - 2006 May 1978 KOC entrusted with oil-production operations formerly carried out by the American Independent Oil Company, before the latter's concession expired. October 1978 New bitumen plant inaugurated. February 1979 H.H. Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait, inaugurated the Gas Project at Mina Al-Ahmadi. 1979 A single point mooring near the Sea Island commissioned, facilitating the loading of giant 500,000 ton DWT. tankers. 1980 Kuwait Petroleum Company established by an Amiri Decree. 1983 "Al Baz" drilling rig commenced offshore drilling. 1985 The 26th gathering centre commissioned. August 2nd, 1990 Operations suspended due to the Iraqi invasion. February 1991 Iraqi troops detonated over 700 oil wells. February 26th, 1991 Kuwait liberated by coalition forces. Work began on clearing KOC operational areas of unexploded ordnance and debris. March 1991 Work began on fighting the oil well fires. July 27th, 1991 The first shipment of crude exported after the liberation. September 14th, 1991 Drilling operations resumed at Maqwa oilfield. November 6th, 1991 H.H. Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait, capped the last burning oil well "Burgan 118". September 24th, 1992 The first shipment of crude from the oil lakes exported. February 25th, 1993 Production capacity rated at over 2 million barrels per day. April 13th, 1993 Company long-serving employees receive certificates during the first Honoring Ceremony to be held after liberation. April 16th, 1993 President George Bush visits the Company and inspects the destroyed KOC Main Offices, the oil lakes, and GC-14. May 3rd, 1993 Recommissioning of the Single Point Mooring. September 7th, 1993 The birth of the first test-tube baby in Ahmadi Hospital. October 1994 97% of the oil in the oil lakes recovered. 1995 Oil discovered in Kara'a Al-Marou (West Kuwait) 1995 Contract signed between Kuwait Oil Company and the Chinese National Petroleum Company for construction of the new gathering centres 27 and 28. 1995 Two new Single Point Moorings (Small Buoys) commissioned. June 30th, 1996 KOC celebrates 50th anniversary of the first oil export by inaugurating a new memorial. H.H. Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of Kuwait, turned a symbolic golden wheel to commemorate the occasion. June 23rd, 1997 Signing ceremony for the commissioning of Gathering Centre 25 between KOC and Daelin (Korean). July 25th, 2000 Commissioning of Gathering Centre 25 at North Kuwait. January 28th, 2001 Inauguration and commissioning of Gathering Centre 27 at Um-Gudair (West Kuwait) April 22nd, 2001 Inauguration and commissioning of Gathering Centre 28 at Um-Gudair (West Kuwait) March 23rd, 2002 Ceremony for re-building and inauguration of KOC's New Main Office Building. January 25th, 2005 The new GC15 commissioned. February 23th, 2005 New Pier at Ahmadi port commissioned. March 19th, 2005 2020 strategy launched to increase production to 4 mmbopd. April 25th, 2005 Signing ceremony for facility upgrading project of 7 gathering centers and 2 booster stations with PETROFAC. May 18th, 2005 Signing ceremony for new office complex for 1850 employees to be completed in August 2008. May 23rd, 2005 Signing ceremony for facilities upgrading project of 10 GCs + 1 BS with SK Engineering and Construction Co. July 16th, 2005 Signing ceremony for the construction of 8 giant tanks each with 618,000 barrels capacity. October 3rd, 2005 Signing ceremony for the construction of crude oil export facility project. October 24th, 2005 Signing ceremony for the construction of 3 flow lines projects. December 31st, 2005 Transfer of Wafra Joint Operations to Kuwait Gulf Oil Company. As of this date, the Kuwaiti part in the Divided Zone is no longer run by KOC. 2006 - present March 6th, 2006 New gas discoveries announced boosting gas reserves to 35 billion c/f. November 6th, 2006 Spirit of the Desert inaugurated. January 8th, 2007 1st international video-conferencing recruitment. February 22nd, 2007 KOC Marine Colony inaugurated. March 2007 HH Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah views the latest gas and oil reserves. March 26th, 2007 Signing ceremony for the construction of GC24 (165,000 bpd capacity at North Kuwait) with SK Engineering and Construction Co. April 9th, 2007 Magwa and Burgan Effluent water disposal plants commissioned. June 5th, 2007 Signing ceremony for the construction of 9 filling lines with Daelim Co. 2008 KOC celebrated the commencement of production of 50 million cubic feet of free gas per day from North Kuwait fields. May 2008 KOC began operating the first and second stages of the Export Facilities Project, with the aim of increasing export capacity to 3 million barrels of oil per day. 2009 The discovery of a new light oil and gas field in Al-Mutriba in northwest Kuwait was announced. Initial production for the new discovery stood at 80,000 barrels of light oil per day and 110 million cubic feet of gas per day. December 2009 The celebration of KOC’s 75^th anniversary was held under the patronage and presence of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, and a large number of senior officials, dignitaries and guests. January 2010 The opening of Al-Zour Marina was a major contribution to KOC’s list of achievements over its 75 year history. July 2012 The Higher Committee for Exploration and Production Companies (KOC, KGOC, KUFPEC and ODC) adopts a decision to establish a “Center of Excellence” to share experiences and build the required skills and capabilities to achieve the strategic objectives of Kuwait’s oil sector. October 2012 The Kuwait Center for Integrated Smart Fields (KwIDF) was inaugurated under the patronage and presence of His Highness Sheikh Jaber Al Mubarak Al Hamad Al Sabah, the Prime Minister of Kuwait and a number of senior Kuwaiti officials. August 2014 KOC signed contracts for the construction of three Gathering Centers within its areas of operation in North Kuwait. March 2015 Gas flaring has been reduced to less than 1%, specifically .4953%, which is an important objective of the Company in the context of its commitment to the preservation of the environment. 17 October 2016 The Ahmad Al-Jaber Oil & Gas Exhibition was inaugurated. The new facility offers a unique educational experience and serves as a new cultural landmark for Kuwait. 26 October 2016 KOC launched the “Sidra 500” solar power plant to help produce oil from the Umm Qadeer field. The plant is capable of generating 10 megawatts of electricity. 26 April 2017 A large ceremony was held to commemorate the opening of the New Ahmadi Hospital. The ceremony was held under the patronage and presence of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Ahmad Al Jaber Al Ahmad Al-Sabah. 14 May 2017 KOC opened the new Ahmadi Park in a ceremony that was held under the patronage and presence of CEO Jamal Abdul Aziz Jaafar and a number of his deputies and senior officials. May 2017 KOC completed field operations for the 3D seismic survey project of Kuwait Bay and the surrounding areas. The project, which was completed successfully two months ahead of schedule, lasted two years and covered a land area of 3,300 square kilometers, which represents 19% of Kuwait’s territory.