Kuwait oil minister offers to quit

Fire and dense smoke billows out of the al-Rawdatian oilfield

By Miriam Amie

KUWAIT CITY, Kuwait (CNN) -- Kuwait's oil minister is expected to tender his resignation to the crown prince following a deadly fire at an oil field that shut down all production in northern Kuwait.

Adel al-Subaih told reporters he hoped for an answer by Sunday. Though crown prince and Prime Minister Sheik Saad Al Abdullah Al Sabah was not expected to accept the resignation, the minister said he felt it was a move he had to make because four people had died in the disaster.

The fire erupted late on Thursday at the al-Rawdatian oil field in northern Kuwait, near the Iraqi border. It began with a major oil leak at one of the oil-gathering stations, and when it seemed toward a transformer it was ignited by a spark.

Members of emergency crews who were vacuuming up the oil were the worst affected. In addition to the four who died -- all believed to be working for the clean-up crew -- at least 17 others were injured.

Subaih said on Friday night that Kuwait Petroleum Corporation wants to begin a two-pronged investigation with a neutral body and one representing its subsidiary, the Kuwait Oil Company. The KOC is the production arm of the state-run oil industry.

There was no indication so far of any sabotage in the massive oil leak, he said, but workers at the site were still being questioned about it.

North Kuwait's oil production was closed on Saturday as a result of the fire, but oil exports were not affected because KOC was drawing oil from fields in other areas.

The al-Rawdatian field has a daily output of 280,000 barrels.