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  • One of several hundred camels grazing in the Rumeilah Oil Field of Southern Iraq walks in front of a burning oil well being fought by the Kuwaiti Wild Well Killers, a division of the Kuwait Oil Company. The Rumeilah field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. (Supporting image from the project Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.)
    KUW03_5378_xf1brw.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) pray at noon by the first oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumeilah Oil Field. They did a double prayer at noon so they would not have to stop later in the day if they were at a critical phase. Later in the day they extinguished this smoky fire and the next day stopped the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger", a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. (Supporting image from the project Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.)
    KUW03_4858_xf1brw.jpg
  • Firefighters from the KWWK (Kuwait Wild Well Killers) attempt to extinguish an oil fire in the Rumeilah Oil Field by guiding a "stinger" that will pump drilling mud into the hemoraging, flaming well. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them difficult and dangerous. (Supporting image from the project Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.)
    KUW03_4976_xf1brw.jpg
  • Firefighters from the KWWK (Kuwait Wild Well Killers) attempt to kill an oil fire in the Rumeilah Oil Field by guiding a "stinger" that will pump drilling mud into the damaged well. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them difficult and dangerous. (Supporting image from the project Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.)
    KUW03_4871_xf1brw.jpg
  • Heading north through the Rumeilah Oil Field of Southern Iraq, convoys of fuel trucks carry the military's mechanical lifeblood past burning oil wells set ablaze by retreating Iraqi forces. (Supporting image from the project Hungry Planet: What the World Eats.)
    KUW03_4678_xf1brw.jpg
  • Joe Bowden of Wild Well Control, Inc. In March, 1991, heads of the three Texas oil well fire fighting companies made their first trip to Kuwait to survey the damage of the burning oil fields set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops in February. Here in the Al Burgan field in mid afternoon, it was as dark as a moonless night due to the heavy thick smoke. The only light came from the more than 300 flaming oil wells and the truck headlights. It was raining soot and unburned oil. It was estimated that 5 or 6 million barrels of oil were being lost every day in this field alone. Huge oil lakes were forming.
    KUW_054_xs.jpg
  • Boots Hansen of Boots & Coots Inc. In March, 1991, heads of the three Texas oil well fire fighting companies made their first trip to Kuwait to survey the damage of the burning oil fields set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops in February. Here in the Al Burgan field in mid afternoon, it was as dark as a moonless night due to the heavy thick smoke. The only light came from the more than 300 flaming oil wells and the truck headlights. It was raining soot and unburned oil. It was estimated that 5 or 6 million barrels of oil were being lost every day in this field alone. Huge oil lakes were forming.
    KUW_053_xs.jpg
  • Larry Flak- O.G.S. chief engineer coordinator. In March, 1991, heads of the three Texas oil well fire fighting companies made their first trip to Kuwait to survey the damage of the burning oil fields set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops in February. Here in the Al Burgan field in mid afternoon, it was as dark as a moonless night due to the heavy thick smoke. The only light came from the more than 300 flaming oil wells and the truck headlights. It was raining soot and unburned oil. It was estimated that 5 or 6 million barrels of oil were being lost every day in this field.
    KUW_057_xs.jpg
  • A tornado of oil and smoke is mirrored in a vast lake of oil in the Al-Burgan Oil Fields, Kuwait. In this field alone, there were more than 300 oil wells set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops in the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. The $20 billion effort to extinguish the fires lasted until the end of the year. Each day, in this oil field alone, the loss was estimated at 5 to 6 million barrel. Huge burning oil lakes added smoke and oily rain to a nightmarish scene. May, 1991. (NPPA Winner; Communication Arts Winner).
    KUW_025_xs.jpg
  • An oil well fire set by the Iraqi's in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in the Al Burgan field, March 1991. Larry Flak, the oil well fire coordinator, surveys the damage on one of the more than 700 wells set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops in the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. A month after this photo was taken, the $20 billion effort to extinguish the fires began. Each day, in this oil field alone, the loss was estimated at 5 to 6 million barrels a day. This photo was made at mid-afternoon when the smoke from the fires made the desert as black as night. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history..Kuwait: Burning oil fields set by Iraqis. 10 am.
    KUW_061_xs.jpg
  • A lizard with feet caked with oil in the Al-Burgan oil field after the Gulf War in 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_105_xs.jpg
  • An unexploded rockeye submunition (cluster bomb), in the Manageesh Oil Field. After finding these rockeye submunitions all over Kuwait, the British Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team detonate them with plastic explosives from a safe distance. When they are found close to a burning oil well, a string is attached and it is dragged to a cooler distance to be detonated. Nearly a million land mines were deployed on the beaches and along the Saudi and Iraqi border. In addition, tens of thousands of unexploded bomblets (from cluster bombs dropped by Allied aircraft) littered the desert. July 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_096_xs.jpg
  • Aerial of burning a burning oil well in the Magwa oil field in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_034_xs.jpg
  • The British Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team marking a safe route to drive through the Manageesh Oil field in Kuwait. After finding rockeye submunitions (cluster bombs) all over Kuwait, they detonate them with plastic explosives from a safe distance. Nearly a million land mines were deployed on the beaches and along the Saudi and Iraqi border. In addition, tens of thousands of unexploded bomblets (from cluster bombs dropped by Allied aircraft) littered the desert. July 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_097_xs.jpg
  • British Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team, near GC1 (Gathering Center One), mine-clearing and bomb disposal troops, at the Al-Burgan oil field in Kuwait. The entire country was walked by teams of experts and more people died in this cleanup effort than US and Coalition soldiers killed during the actual war.
    KUW_052_xs.jpg
  • Kuwait oil well fires. Al Burgan field. Tornados of smoke reflected in oil lake.
    KUW_024_xs.jpg
  • Oil spill cleanup on a beach after an oil tanker accident. The tanker, the Amoco Cadiz, split in two after running aground on rocks three miles off the coast of Brittany, France, near Portsall on March 16, 1978.
    FRA_022_xs.jpg
  • Firefighters preparing a burning oil well so that the damaged well head can be capped in the Magwa field near Ahmadi, Kuwait. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_033_xs.jpg
  • Oil Well in the middle of an orange field, Central Valley, Southern California, USA.
    USA_AG_ORAN_09_xs.jpg
  • Kuwait: Magwa oil field, British explosive ordnance disposal, Rockeye submunition..
    KUW_083_xs.jpg
  • The Crown Prince of Kuwait visiting the oil well fires for the first time in May which were set immediately after the end of the Gulf War. The royal family fled and when they returned they finally went out to see what all the smoke was about in the burning Magwa oil fields near Ahmadi, Kuwait. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_106_xs.jpg
  • British Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team sweeping for unexploded ordinance and bomblets in the devastated desert landscape in the burning Magwa oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War (near GC1: Gathering Center One). More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. The entire country was walked by teams of experts and more people died in this cleanup effort than US and Coalition soldiers killed during the actual war.
    KUW_072_xs.jpg
  • Oil well fire fighting specialists from the Texas company Boots and Coots shield themselves from the intense heat of the fire so that they can more closely direct other workers using equipment on the end of long booms attached to shielded bulldozers in the Kuwait oil fields. The company was one of those brought in to fight the Kuwait oil well fires after the end of the Gulf War. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_068_xs.jpg
  • The Crown Prince of Kuwait visiting the oil well fires for the first time in May which were set immediately after the end of the Gulf War. The royal family fled and when they returned they finally went out to see the burning Magwa oil fields near Ahmadi, Kuwait. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_060_xs.jpg
  • An oil well fire specialist from the Texas company Wild Well Control shields himself from the intense heat of the fire so that he can more closely direct other workers using equipment on the end of long booms attached to shielded bulldozers in the Kuwait oil fields. The company was one of those brought in to fight the Kuwait oil well fires after the end of the Gulf War. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_059_xs.jpg
  • An oil well fire specialist of Red Adair, Co. of Texas works to prepare a well for capping by sawing off the damaged well head in the Kuwait oil fields. The fire has already been extinguished but the well is spewing oil and gas into the air under high pressure. The trick is to cut through the metal casing cleanly without causing any sparks that could reignite the well and incinerate the workers. The company was one of those brought in to fight the Kuwait oil well fires after the end of the Gulf War (July, 1991) More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_048_xs.jpg
  • An oil well fire specialist of Red Adair, Co. of Texas works to prepare a well for capping by sawing off the damaged well head in the Kuwait oil fields. The fire has already been extinguished but the well is spewing oil and gas into the air under high pressure. The trick is to cut through the metal casing cleanly without causing any sparks that could reignite the well and incinerate the workers. The company was one of those brought in to fight the Kuwait oil well fires after the end of the Gulf War (July, 1991).
    KUW_046_xs.jpg
  • An avid runner not deterred by disaster, Dr. Daoud, head of preventive services at Ahmadi Hospital takes his daily jog near the burning Kuwait oil fields. (May, 1991). Dr. Daoud, a Palestinian doctor working in Kuwait for many years, participated in studies of the effects of breathing oil well fire smoke for extended periods of time by dissecting the lungs of sheep kept alive in Kuwait and comparing them with imported sheep. He displayed some of the healthy and diseased lungs.
    KUW_045_xs.jpg
  • An exhausted Wild Well Control Inc. worker takes a break while capping an oil well after they extinguished the fire. The burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991 were covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. Photo taken on July 8, 1991.
    KUW_043_xs.jpg
  • An exhausted Wild Well Control Inc. worker takes a break while capping an oil well after they extinguished the fire. The burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991 were covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. Photo taken on July 8, 1991.
    KUW_042_xs.jpg
  • A worker from the Red Adair Company attempts to wash oil off his body after capping an oil well after they extinguished the fire. The burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991 were covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_040_xs.jpg
  • Safety Boss of Canada workers capping an oil well after they extinguished the fire. The burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991 were covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. Photo taken on July 11, 1991.
    KUW_039_xs.jpg
  • The Red Adair Company capping an oil well after they extinguished the fire. The burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991 were covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_038_xs.jpg
  • An oil lake and devastated desert landscape in the burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_029_xs.jpg
  • Apocalypse Cow: An abandoned cow in silhouette near the burning Kuwait oil fields immediately after the end of the Gulf War (March, 1991). Within a few weeks there were no animals alive in the desert. The burning Magwa oil fields near Ahmadi in Kuwait right after the end of the Gulf War in 1991. An abandoned cow is silhouetted by the burning oil well. All cattle died within a few weeks. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_027_xs.jpg
  • An abandoned Iraqi tank in front of the burning Magwa oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in 1991. The desert was covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_023_xs.jpg
  • The burning Magwa oil fields near Ahmadi in Kuwait right after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. Some abandoned cattle are silhouetted by the burning oil well. They all died within a few weeks. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_018_xs.jpg
  • An oil lake and devastated desert landscape in the burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_016_xs.jpg
  • Aerial of a non-burning oil well feeding an oil lake in the burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_015_xs.jpg
  • An oil lake and devastated desert landscape in the burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_014_xs.jpg
  • A lake of oil reflects a fire in the burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_013_xs.jpg
  • Aerial of burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_004_xs.jpg
  • Aerial of burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_003_xs.jpg
  • Aerial of burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_002_xs.jpg
  • Aerial of burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_001_xs.jpg
  • Oil well fire fighting specialists from the Texas company Boots and Coots shield themselves from the intense heat of the fire so that they can more closely direct other workers using equipment on the end of long booms attached to shielded bulldozers in the Kuwait oil fields. The company was one of those brought in to fight the Kuwait oil well fires after the end of the Gulf War. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. Photo taken on July 3, 1991.
    KUW_067_xs.jpg
  • Oil well fire fighting specialists from the Texas company Boots and Coots shield themselves from the intense heat of the fire so that they can more closely direct other workers using equipment on the end of long booms attached to shielded bulldozers in the Kuwait oil fields. The company was one of those brought in to fight the Kuwait oil well fires after the end of the Gulf War. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. Photo taken on July 3, 1991.
    KUW_066_xs.jpg
  • The afternoon sun weakly shines though the smoke of the burning Magwa oil fields near Ahmadi in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War. (May, 1991). More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_065_xs.jpg
  • The afternoon sun weakly shines though the smoke of the burning Magwa oil fields near Ahmadi in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War. (May, 1991). More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_064_xs.jpg
  • An oil well fire specialist of Red Adair, Co. of Texas works to prepare a well for capping by sawing off the damaged well head in the Kuwait oil fields. The fire has already been extinguished but the well is spewing oil and gas into the air under high pressure. The trick is to cut through the metal casing cleanly without causing any sparks that could reignite the well and incinerate the workers. The company was one of those brought in to fight the Kuwait oil well fires after the end of the Gulf War (July, 1991) More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_047_xs.jpg
  • A worker from the Red Adair Company attempts to wash oil off his body after capping an oil well after they extinguished the fire. The burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991 were covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_041_xs.jpg
  • An oil well fire specialist of Red Adair, Co. of Texas works to prepare a well for capping by sawing off the damaged well head in the Kuwait oil fields. The fire has already been extinguished but the well is spewing oil and gas into the air under high pressure. The trick is to cut through the metal casing cleanly without causing any sparks that could reignite the well and incinerate the workers. The company was one of those brought in to fight the Kuwait oil well fires after the end of the Gulf War (July, 1991).
    KUW_037_xs.jpg
  • British Explosive Ordinance Disposal Team sweeping for unexploded ordinance and bomblets in the devastated desert landscape in the burning Magwa oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War (near GC1: Gathering Center One). More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. The entire country was walked by teams of experts and more people died in this cleanup effort than US and Coalition soldiers killed during the actual war.
    KUW_036_xs.jpg
  • he devastated desert landscape in the burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_035_xs.jpg
  • A dead camel in July of 1991 in the devastated desert landscape in the burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_031_xs.jpg
  • An oil lake and devastated desert landscape in the burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_030_xs.jpg
  • The Red Adair Company Capping an oil well after they extinguished the fire. The burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991 were covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_022_xs.jpg
  • An aerial of the devastated desert landscape in the burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. The sand has been coated with oil from more than 700 wells that were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. Firefighting equipment has been moved in to begin the process of extinguishing this burning well.
    KUW_021_xs.jpg
  • The burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991 were covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. Here a fire fighting crew from Wild Well Control sprays water on a fire so that they can move closer with heavy equipment and attempt to stop the flow with a "stinger?. A stinger is a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas.
    KUW_020_xs.jpg
  • The burning Magwa oil fields near Ahmadi in Kuwait right after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. Tornados of fire are seen spinning off a burning well. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_019_xs.jpg
  • A small river of oil flows through the desert in the burning northern Al-Rawdhatain oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_011_xs.jpg
  • The fires of a a burning oil well reflected in the surrounding oil in the burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_009_xs.jpg
  • The burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_008_xs.jpg
  • The burning Magwa oil fields near Ahmadi in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_007_xs.jpg
  • Aerial of burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_005_xs.jpg
  • An oil well fire specialist from the Texas company Boots and Coots shields himself from the intense heat of the fire so that he can more closely direct other workers using equipment on the end of long booms attached to shielded bulldozers in the Kuwait oil fields. The company was one of those brought in to fight the Kuwait oil well fires after the end of the Gulf War. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_063_xs.jpg
  • The afternoon sun weakly shines though the smoke of the burning Magwa oil fields near Ahmadi in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War. (May, 1991). More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_062_xs.jpg
  • An exhausted Wild Well Control Inc. worker takes a break while capping an oil well after they extinguished the fire. The burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991 were covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. Photo taken on July 8, 1991.
    KUW_044_xs.jpg
  • An abandoned Iraqi tank in front of the burning Magwa oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in 1991 (July, 1991). The desert was covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_032_xs.jpg
  • An aerial of the devastated desert landscape in the burning greater Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. The sand has been coated with oil from more than 700 wells that were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history. Firefighting equipment has been moved in to begin the process of extinguishing this burning well.
    KUW_017_xs.jpg
  • The burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991 were covered in oil that rained down from the clouds of oil smoke and oil shooting into the air after a fire had been extinguished. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_012_xs.jpg
  • A car's tail lights make red steaks down a road in the burning northern Al-Rawdhatain oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_010_xs.jpg
  • Aerial of burning Al Burgan oil fields in Kuwait after the end of the Gulf War in May of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_006_xs.jpg
  • Oil well fire specialists of Wild Well Control, Inc. of Texas cap a Kuwait oil well after extinguishing one of the 700 fires that raged in the fields during the Gulf War. Working in high winds with ambient temperature well over 100 degrees F, workers dressed in Nomex suits drank 10-20 liters of water a day. (July, 1991).
    KUW_051_xs.jpg
  • Young boys with white sheep turned black from oil, smoke and rain from oil well fires near Umm al-Haiman, south of Ahmadi, Kuwait in March of 1991. More than 700 wells were set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops creating the largest man-made environmental disaster in history.
    KUW_101_xs.jpg
  • Cluster bomb by oil well fire, Southern Iraqi oil field. Unexploded cluster bombs litter the area around the burning oil wells in Iraq's Rumaila Oil Field in Southern Iraq. Heading north through the Rumaila Oil Field of Southern Iraq, convoys of fuel trucks carry the army's mechanical lifeblood past burning oil wells set ablaze by retreating Iraqi forces. The burning wells in the Rumaila Field were ignited by retreating Iraqi troops when the US and UK invasion began in March 2003.The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030324_280_rwx.jpg
  • A cluster bomb in the desert by an oil well fire, Southern Iraqi oil field. Unexploded cluster bombs litter the area around the burning oil wells in Iraq's Rumaila Oil Field in Southern Iraq. The wells were set on fire with explosives by retreating Iraqi troops when the US and UK invasion began. The cluster bombs were dropped by US forces to clear the oil well area. A number of them do not explode and this unexploded ordnance is another hazard faced by the experts who have to put the fires out and restore the well heads. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030324_4614_x.jpg
  • Burning oil well in the Rumaila Oil Field in southern Iraq. The wells were ignited by retreating Iraqi troops when the US and UK invasion began in March 2003. Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) pray at noon by the first oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Later in the day they extinguished this smoky fire and the next day stopped the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030324_037_rwx.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) pray at noon by the first oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Later in the day they extinguished this smoky fire and the next day stopped the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger", (a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas). The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. The burning wells in the Rumaila Field were ignited by retreating Iraqi troops when the US and UK invasion began in March 2003. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030324_176_rwx.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) connect hoses to water tanks and pumps by the second oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Later in the day they failed to extinguished this fire with water and then tried to stop the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger", a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. This was also unsuccessful. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with 5 billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah..
    IRQ_030327_048_rwx.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) connect hoses to water tanks and pumps by the second oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Later in the day they failed to extinguish this fire with water and then tried to stop the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. This was also unsuccessful. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah..
    IRQ_030327_043_rwx.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) connect hoses to water tanks and pumps by the second oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Later in the day they failed to extinguished this fire with water and then tried to stop the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. This was also unsuccessful. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah..
    IRQ_030327_028_x.jpg
  • Aisa Bou Yabes, head of the Kuwait Oil Company firefighting team dispatched to southern Iraq smiles ever so slightly after his team extinguished their first oil well fire in Iraq's Rumaila field. The wells were set on fire with explosives by retreating Iraqi troops when the US and UK invasion began. Seven or eight wells were set ablaze. Here the ground is still smoking and oil boiling as the well still spurts some oil. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. The burning wells in the Rumaila Field were ignited by retreating Iraqi troops when the US and UK invasion began in March 2003. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030324_099_rwx.jpg
  • Sara Akbar, development specialist for the Kuwait Oil Company, makes a cell phone call before joining firefighters from the companies (KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) as they prepare to extinguish the first oil well fire in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. After dousing the flames with high pressure water hoses, they sealed the spurting well of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. The Rumaila oil field is one of Iraq's biggest with five billion barrels in reserve. The burning wells in the Rumaila Field were ignited by retreating Iraqi troops when the US and UK invasion began in March 2003. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030324_061_rwx.jpg
  • In March, 1991, heads of the three Texas oil well fire fighting companies made their first trip to Kuwait to survey the damage of the burning oil fields set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops in February. Here in the Al Burgan field in mid afternoon, it was as dark as a moonless night due to the heavy thick smoke. The only light came from the more than 300 flaming oil wells and the truck headlights. It was raining soot and unburned oil. It was estimated that 5 or 6 million barrels of oil were being lost every day in this field alone. Huge oil lakes were forming. The men in the photo are: Boots Hansen (white jacket, Boots and Coots), Raymond Henry (Red Adair Company, red coveralls), Joe Bowden (Wildwell Control, yellow coveralls), and Larry Flak (oil well fire coordinator, black jacket)
    KUW_058_xs.jpg
  • In March, 1991, heads of the three Texas oil well fire fighting companies made their first trip to Kuwait to survey the damage of the burning oil fields set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops in February. Here in the Al Burgan field in mid afternoon, it was as dark as a moonless night due to the heavy thick smoke. The only light came from the more than 300 flaming oil wells and the truck headlights. It was raining soot and unburned oil. It was estimated that 5 or 6 million barrels of oil were being lost every day in this field alone. Huge oil lakes were forming. The men in the photo are: Boots Hansen (white jacket, Boots and Coots), Raymond Henry (Red Adair Company, red coveralls), Joe Bowden (Wildwell Control, yellow coveralls), and Larry Flak (oil well fire coordinator, black jacket).
    KUW_056_xs.jpg
  • In March, 1991, heads of the three Texas oil well fire fighting companies made their first trip to Kuwait to survey the damage of the burning oil fields set ablaze by retreating Iraqi troops in February. Here in the Al Burgan field in mid afternoon, it was as dark as a moonless night due to the heavy thick smoke. The only light came from the more than 300 flaming oil wells and the truck headlights. It was raining soot and unburned oil. It was estimated that 5 or 6 million barrels of oil were being lost every day in this field alone. Huge oil lakes were forming. The men in the photo are: Boots Hansen (white jacket, Boots and Coots), Raymond Henry (Red Adair Company, red coveralls), Joe Bowden (Wildwell Control, yellow coveralls), and Larry Flak (oil well fire coordinator, black jacket).
    KUW_055_xs.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) connect hoses to water tanks and a replacement pumps near the second oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Later in the day they failed to extinguished this fire with water and then tried to stop the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. This was also unsuccessful. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah..
    IRQ_030327_026_x.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) connect hoses to water tanks and a replacement pumps near the second oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Later in the day they failed to extinguished this fire with water and then tried to stop the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. This was also unsuccessful. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030327_025_rwx.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) connect hoses to water tanks and a replacement pumps near the second oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Later in the day they failed to extinguished this fire with water and then tried to stop the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. This was also unsuccessful. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah..
    IRQ_030327_023_rwx.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) connect hoses to water tanks and a replacement pumps near the second oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Later in the day they failed to extinguished this fire with water and then tried to stop the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. This was also unsuccessful. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah..
    IRQ_030327_013_rwx.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) connect hoses to water tanks and pumps near the second oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Later in the day they failed to extinguish this fire with water and then tried to stop the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. This was also unsuccessful. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030327_002_rwx.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) pray at noon by the first oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil Field. Later in the day they extinguished this smoky fire and the next day stopped the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger", a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest with 5 billion barrels in reserve. The burning wells in the Rumaila Field were ignited by retreating Iraqi troops when the US and UK invasion began in March 2003. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030324_151_rwx.jpg
  • Firefighters from the KWWK (Kuwait Wild Well Killers) attempt to kill an oil fire in the Rumaila field by guiding a "stinger" that will pump drilling mud into the damaged well. A "stinger" is a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. A sudden wind shift after a sandstorm caused the oil to blow back on the workers and equipment, causing a very dangerous situation because the oil and gas could have easily ignited. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. This well is of relatively low volume. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah..
    IRQ_030325_064_x.jpg
  • Firefighters from the KWWK (Kuwait Wild Well Killers) attempt to kill an oil fire in the Rumaila field by guiding a "stinger" that will pump drilling mud into the damaged well. A "stinger" is a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. A sudden wind shift after a sandstorm caused the oil to blow back on the workers and equipment, causing a very dangerous situation because the oil and gas could have easily ignited. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. This well is of relatively low volume. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah..
    IRQ_030325_055_x.jpg
  • Firefighters from the Kuwait Oil Company (called KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) pray at noon by the first oil well fire they were working on in Iraq's Rumaila Oil Field. Later in the day they extinguished this smoky fire and the next day stopped the flow of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger", a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest with 5 billion barrels in reserve. The burning wells in the Rumaila Field were ignited by retreating Iraqi troops when the US and UK invasion began in March 2003. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030324_154_rwx.jpg
  • Brian Krause, president of Boots and Coots, talks with Sara Akbar, development specialist for the Kuwait Oil Company, and member of the firefighting team from the company's (KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) as they prepare to extinguish the first oil well fire in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. After dousing the flames with high pressure water hoses, they sealed the spurting well of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. The Rumaila oil field is one of Iraq's biggest with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030327_126_x.jpg
  • Brian Krause, president of Boots and Coots, with Sara Akbar, development specialist for the Kuwait Oil Company and member of the firefighting team from the company's (KWWK: Kuwait Wild Well Killers) as they prepare to extinguish the first oil well fire in Iraq's Rumaila Oil field. Sara is a Muslim woman and is rather surprised by the way Brian, a friendly American, reacts to a photo by putting his arm around her. The other Kuwaiti's notice this too. After dousing the flames with high pressure water hoses, they sealed the spurting well of gas and oil with drilling mud using what is called a "stinger," a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. The Rumaila oil field is one of Iraq's biggest with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.
    IRQ_030327_121_x.jpg
  • Firefighters from the KWWK (Kuwait Wild Well Killers) attempt to kill an oil fire in the Rumaila field by guiding a "stinger" that will pump drilling mud into the damaged well. A "stinger" is a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. A sudden wind shift after a sandstorm caused the oil to blow back on the workers and equipment, causing a very dangerous situation because the oil and gas could have easily ignited. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. This well is of relatively low volume. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah..
    IRQ_030325_061_x.jpg
  • Firefighters from the KWWK (Kuwait Wild Well Killers) attempt to kill an oil fire in the Rumaila field by guiding a "stinger" that will pump drilling mud into the damaged well. A "stinger" is a tapered pipe on the end of a long steel boom controlled by a bulldozer. Drilling mud, under high pressure, is pumped through the stinger into the well, stopping the flow of oil and gas. A sudden wind shift after a sandstorm caused the oil to blow back on the workers and equipment, causing a very dangerous situation because the oil and gas could have easily ignited. The Rumaila field is one of Iraq's biggest oil fields with five billion barrels in reserve. Many of the wells are 10,000 feet deep and produce huge volumes of oil and gas under tremendous pressure, which makes capping them very difficult and dangerous. This well is of relatively low volume. Rumaila is also spelled Rumeilah.     .
    IRQ_030325_052_x.jpg
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