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DOD says Halliburton unit has Iraq oil fire plan
The plan by Halliburton's Kellogg Brown & Root Services would be for "dealing, on short notice" with fires like those set by Iraqi forces in Kuwait at the end of the Gulf War in 1991, the Pentagon said.
"U.S. plans are first to prevent the destruction of Iraq's oil fields and second, if unable to prevent destruction, to control and mitigate the damage quickly," it said in a press release.
A Defense Department source earlier said the Halliburton unit had won a contract to oversee any firefighting operations in Iraq's oilfields, but the announcement did not confirm that and a Halliburton spokeswoman declined comment.
Kellogg Brown & Root was widely viewed by many in the oilfield services industry as the likely candidate to oversee firefighting in Iraq's oilfields because Halliburton does extensive logistic support work for the U.S. military.
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney served as Halliburton's chief executive officer from 1995 to 2000.
A possible beneficiary of Thursday's deal is oilwell firefighting company Boots & Coots International Well Control Inc. (AMEX:WEL - News), with which Halliburton has had an alliance since 1995.