You should ask what does "involvement" mean. Kuwait sells to many companies, of course. But they nationalized their oil industry in the '70's. The national oil company does make short-term technical assistance contracts with foreign companies. Both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are considering entering agreements with consortiums of foreign companies for investment in long term exploration and development programs as the nationalized companies aren't so good at it.
They have what it takes to run things on an ongoing basis but growing is something else. Sooner or later they probably will contract with foreign companies for exploration and development. But that activity is not being performed by foreign companies now.
The Kuwaiti constitution forbids foreign ownership of Kuwait's mineral resources, but the Kuwaiti government is moving toward allowing foreign investment in upstream oil development under terms which provide for per-barrel fees to the foreign firms rather than traditional production sharing agreements (PSAs).
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Following the nationalisation of the oil industry in 1975, foreign companies were not permitted to operate in either the upstream or downstream sector oil sector (apart from the neutral zone). After the Gulf War, however, the government started to negotiate service contracts for the provision of technical assistance in exploration-production operations.
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Kuwait has opened some of its existing fields to foreign company involvement in the form of technical assistance contracts, which can run from a few months to 3 years or more. Companies that are, or have been, involved in these arrangements include Chevron, BP, Exxon, Total and Shell.
tradepartners.gov.uk
The modest foreign involvement in providing technical services to Kuwait's oil industry does not amount to running their industry - the Kuwait government and its oil company do that.
You also said:
The government set aside an oilfield for UK companies to tackle - in gratitude for Britain's part in the war - but the consortium subcontracted much of the work to a US group.
alba.net
This site refers to the putting out of the oil well fires Saddam set - not exploring, developing or producing.
The other site you linked to was talking about relations between the US & Kuwait governments.
Lastly I will tell you very carefully and cautiously that in regard to one of the companies on the list in your post I would have close personal knowledge if they were or had been or in the next few years plan to be involved in anything involving drilling in Kuwait. |
