Chevron will need six months to bring the 220,000 b/d-capacity Wafra oil field in the Saudi/Kuwait Partitioned Neutral Zone (PNZ) back to normal production levels, the US major says in its second quarter results. The field, which lies on the Saudi side of the PNZ shared with Kuwait, has been shut in since mid-May as a result of what Kuwait says is a technical rather than political dispute between the two Gulf Arab allies. However, leaked documents in the Kuwaiti media suggest the exchanges between the two Opec member states over the shutdown have been acrimonious and may prolong the closure of the onshore field.
The US company, which operates Saudi Arabia’s 50% interest in the hydrocarbon resources in the onshore area of the PNZ, said on 27 May that Wafra had been shut down for maintenance and would remain offline till the dispute is resolved. (CONTINUED - 1170 WORDS)
