Kuwait’s appointment of Khaled al-Fadhel as the new oil minister on 24 December has facilitated larger change in the country’s hydrocarbons sector. On 26 December, Hashim Hashim was appointed to the critical position of CEO of state firm KPC, which oversees all areas of the country’s oil and gas sector.

Mr Hashem replaces Nizar al-Adsani who held the post since May 2013 (MEES, 24 May 2013). Aided by a calmer political environment, Mr Adsani oversaw the most dynamic period in Kuwait’s recent oil and gas sector, with key upstream and downstream contracts awarded. These are now coming to fruition with last year’s development of sour Jurassic gas fields, and the planned start-up this year of heavy oil (MEES, 14 December 2018). (CONTINUED - 401 WORDS)