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BBSNews - 2003-03-22 -- CAMP COMMANDO, Kuwait – At approximately 6 p.m. yesterday, the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force secured the gas oil separation plants (GOSPs), crude oil export facilities and oil wells in the Rumaylah Oil Fields.

U.S. Marines from the 1st Marine Division, and U.K. Royal Marines combined their efforts to secure the critical Iraqi infrastructure. “Over half of the Iraqi oil production, approximately 1.6 million barrels per day produced by 1,074 Rumaylah oil wells, has been secured for the Iraqi people,” said Lt. Gen James Conway, Commanding General of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force.

"The Mediterranean Sea (Mar. 21, 2003) -- Aviation Ordnancemen assigned to "The Swordsmen" of Fighter Squadron Thirty Two (VF-32) transfer 2,000-lb. Joint Directional Attack Munition (JDAMs) for uploading to an F-14B Tomcat fighter aircraft. JDAMs are guidance kits that convert existing unguided bombs into precision-guided "smart" munitions. The tail section contains an inertial navigational system (INS) and a global positioning system (GPS). A JDAM improves the accuracy of unguided bombs in any weather condition. Truman is currently deployed and is conducting missions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. U.S. Navy photo Photographer's Mate Airman Justin S. Osborne."

Four GOSPs, a key pumping station at Az Zubayr, a manifold and metering station on the Al Faw peninsula, and the offshore crude oil export facilities have been secured and are critical nodes of the larger oil infrastructure in Southern Iraq. These key facilities give the Iraqi people the ability to preserve 85 percent of the function of those fields.

The Mina al Bakr export facility was captured intact and in working order. The Khor al Amaya export facility was destroyed during the war between Iran and Iraq in the 1980s, and is currently non-operating. Both facilities are capable of handling 1.6 million barrels per day when operational.

Currently, all six major GOSPs are being evaluated in order to determine what work is needed to make the areas safe to begin pumping oil again to support the people of Iraq.

Six major GOSPs, covering an area approximately 50 kilometers in length, included seven oil wells that have been sabotage and are on fire. Oil fire fighting crews will move into the areas at a designated time to snuff out the fires.

“Currently we are focusing our effort in shutting down the plants to prevent more fires and environmental damage,” said Capt. Tom J. Schmidt, 1st MEF Engineer Watch Officer.

Flame trenches filled with oil were also set aflame in a deliberate action by Iraqi troops.

Some of the deserted plants were improperly shut down by Iraqis, causing oil pumping from the well to overfill the pumping station’s oil tanks. The oil is currently seeping around the area and could pose a potential threat of explosion if the oil reaches the burning wells.

Before proceeding on the objective, members of Regimental Combat Team – 5 of the 1st Marine Division studied the area and trained in order to seize it intact so it may later be turned over to the people of Iraq.

“There are so many pipelines, a lot of roads that interweave,” said Col. Christopher Gunther, I Marine Expeditionary Force G-5 plans officer. “It’s like military operations in urban terrain – it’s almost that complex.”

There are three main missions to be conducted in the near future.

The first will be safe shutdown procedures, which will properly shut down the facilities and keep the oil from pumping. Later, after the stations have been improved, they will resume pumping.

The other main missions include spill containment and oil fire fighting, overseen by members of the United Kingdom forces, the U.S. Army, Navy and Air Force, and contracted civilian contractors.

“The effective campaign is to be methodical,” said Gunther. “It’s faster when you’re steady.”

The 1st Marine Division is operating as part of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Released From HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND (CENTCOM).

Michael Hess is the Editor of BBSNews in Charlotte, NC. Write to the editor here. Not all submissions are published. Or visit the completely new BBSNews Blog and Forum on our front page - Please Participate in BBSNews!