This coming friday, the 6th of november, will mark the 18th year anniversary of extinguishing the last of the Kuwait oil well fires. And for this occasion the scientific center will be showing Fires of Kuwait on their IMAX theater during that day.
Press release:
In commemoration of extinguishing the last of the Kuwait oil well fires18 years ago, The Scientific Center will be exclusively showing the IMAX film ‘Fires of Kuwait’ on Friday, November 6, 2009 hourly from 2:30pm-9:30pm. Engineer Sara Akbar, the only woman to participate in the extinguishing efforts, will be present from 4pm-6pm to give a speech about her experience and to sign autographs. This anniversary coincides with the United Nations’ International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. A press release by the U.N regarding November 6 said that “on this day, we would like to renew the commitment to preventing the exploitation of the environment in times of conflict and to protecting the environment as pillar of our work for global peace and sustainable development”.
Fires of Kuwait is a film about the effects and damages to the environment caused by the oil well fires. The fires were put out in seven months, a feat that many experts believed would take three years. To mark the occasion, each ticket will cost only KD 1.800 for either adults or children. To book tickets online go to www.tsck.org.kw or call 1 848 888 for any enquiries.
Check out this website to read more on the damage caused by wildfire.
OMG..!!
I think I’ve seen this movie year 1995, in the States, while I’ve been there with my family in one of the intertanment cities (Universal Studeos I guess – I was to young to still remember ;p).. That is so great of the scientiic center to bring it. But I think they should keep showing it for two weeks or so.
Magnolia,
Actually we show ‘Fires of Kuwait’ every Friday at 2:30pm for those who are unable to attend this Friday. 🙂
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I love that movie. Everyone who lives in Kuwait should see it. Until you see it, you cannot fully imagine the immensity of the fires and their damage, the black, sooty smoke and the film on everything, and the sound of those wells on fire. It is overpowering.
Did you Know.
In early 1991 the world was shocked by the bedlam inflicted on a small, weak but extremely rich country that was not equipped for war. Economics seem to have been the bases for the attack on Kuwait and control of the oil wealth of Kuwait was said to be the primary goal of the powers that conceived the war. When western powers moved into Kuwait the retreating Iraqi forces are said to have destroyed some 700 hundred oil wells crippling the Kuwaiti economy and causing an environmental catastrophe.
The Kuwaitis were faced with the total destruction of their economy. As a desperate last choice they invited anyone with containment know-how to come forward and present their concept for consideration. In this scramble to help solve a unique problem an inventor, Branko Babic put forward a proposal to the Kuwaiti Oil Corporation in London UK, that was accepted and used to contain over half of all the burning oil wells in Kuwait. Over two billion pounds was charged for the work to control of damaged oil wells.
The patent applied for technology provided by Babic consisted of a long tube about 10 metres in length, that was positioned directly above the burning oil well. The escaping material being under pressure was forced up this displacement tube to emerge at the top of the structure and continue burning some distance above the damaged installation allowing engineers to repair the damaged riser pipe whilst the oil continued to burn above their heads.
Mysterious political pressures were at play at the time and the best technology intended for rapid containment of the damaged oil well heads, was NOT allowed to be used in Kuwait. In addition to the displacement tubes Babic also designed counter pressure plugs, that were intended to be lowered into the damaged ends of the riser tubes. The total weight of the steel plug exceeded the pressure of the escaping oil and once the plug was in position the installation could be left, plugged and secure from escaping oil, until the engineering teams had time to repair the facility. Several damaged oil installations could have been contained per day with a team of tree men. The entire Kuwaiti saga could have been resolved within a couple of months.
Babic was not paid a penny of the 100Million, in royalties for the use of his patents?
The story of Branko Babic a lone inventor, was documented by the Discovery Science Channel “The Inventors” on shown on Sky TV.
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