# Not So Well (DD-719)

> In early 1991, retreating Iraqi forces set fire to Kuwaiti oil wells. Estimates of the number range from 605 to 732, and the U.S. government counted 610 burning out of 752 damaged wells. At their peak, the fires burned an estimated 4-6 million barrels of oil a day. Firefighting crews from 28 countries began work in April, and the last well was capped on November 6, 1991. Unburned oil formed lakes, estimated at more than 100 to about 300, and the soot and gases degraded regional air quality. Hardened 'tarcrete' crusts and oil-soaked soil left contamination that persisted for decades.

- Department: History (also Military, Dark Facts)
- First published: 2026-05-26
- Last updated: 2026-05-26
- Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/not-so-well/
- Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department

## On the timeline

- **February 1991**: The number of oil fires peaks as the ground war begins
- **Nov. 6, 1991**: Last burning well capped

Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=not-so-well

## Quick facts

- **DD-719-F01**: The last of Kuwait's burning oil wells was capped on November 6, 1991. _(Write-up · Exhibit B (Timeline))_
- **DD-719-F02**: At their peak, the damaged wells released an estimated 4-6 million barrels of oil a day. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (Scale))_

## Write-up

The 1991 Kuwaiti oil fires. Hundreds of wells burned for months before the last was capped on November 6, 1991.

1. **How many wells**: Counts vary. A U.S. Army assessment used 605 wells on fire, Kuwaiti and other estimates range up to 732, and the U.S. government's 1991 statement counted 610 burning out of 752 damaged wells.
2. **Timeline**: Satellite images showed smoke by February 9, 1991, and the number of fires peaked on February 22-24 as the ground war began. Firefighting started in April, and the last well was capped on November 6, 1991.
3. **Scale**: Damaged wellheads were estimated to release 4-6 million barrels of crude oil and 70-100 million cubic meters of gas a day. Crews from 28 countries took part in the effort.
4. **Air**: The smoke plume carried sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen oxides and soot across the region, and its health effects were later studied for exposed troops and residents.
5. **Land**: Unburned oil pooled into lakes, more than 100 according to the DoD report and over 300 according to a Kuwait University study, and left crusts of hardened 'tarcrete'. The contaminated soil needed decades of cleanup.

## Related case files

- [Offshore Oil (DD-033)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/offshore-oil/): Another case about oil infrastructure
- [Canadian Wildfires (DD-730)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/canadian-wildfires/): Another case about smoke and fire on a vast scale
- [Professional Capping (DD-339)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/professional-capping/): I linked more on oil wells
- [Sweet Disaster (DD-753)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/great-molasses-flood/): I linked another man-made disaster that left a mess behind for months

## Reel vs. record

- **Numbers**: estimates of wells set on fire range from 605 to 732, while the U.S. government counted 610 burning out of 752 damaged.
- **Timing**: most fires were set in late February 1991 as Iraqi forces retreated, though sabotage began in January. The last well was capped on November 6, 1991.
- **Missing context**: firefighters from 28 countries put out or capped the wells in about eight months, far sooner than some early predictions.
- **Missing context**: unburned oil formed lakes, from more than 100 to over 300 depending on the source, and crusts of 'tarcrete' that contaminated soil for decades.
- **Precision**: the toxic pollution included sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen oxides and soot (DoD GulfLINK).

## Video: Not So Well: The 1991 Kuwaiti Oil Fires

- Duration: 18.7 s · Published: 2026-05-26
- File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DY0NEmjvc78.mp4

### Transcript

DID YOU KNOW? During the 1991 Gulf War, retreating Iraqi forces deliberately destroyed or ignited hundreds of oil wells in Kuwait, creating one of the largest man-made environmental disasters in history. The fires generated intense heat, toxic air pollution, and widespread ecological damage affecting soil, wildlife, and regional air quality. NOW YOU KNOW!

## Questions & answers

**Q: When was the last burning Kuwaiti well capped?**  
A: November 6, 1991. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (How many wells) · U.S. Department of Defense (GulfLINK): Environmental Exposure Report, Oil Well Fires, Section 3; American Presidency Project: Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the extinguishing of the last of Kuwait's burning oil wells (Nov. 6, 1991); UPI Archives: Kuwait declares end of the worst oil fires in history (Nov. 6, 1991))_

**Q: About how many wells were set on fire?**  
A: Estimates range from 605 to 732. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Timeline) · U.S. Department of Defense (GulfLINK): Environmental Exposure Report, Oil Well Fires, Section 3; American Presidency Project: Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the extinguishing of the last of Kuwait's burning oil wells (Nov. 6, 1991))_

**Q: About how much oil was released per day at the peak?**  
A: An estimated 4-6 million barrels a day. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Scale) · U.S. Department of Defense (GulfLINK): Environmental Exposure Report, Oil Well Fires, Section 3; American Presidency Project: Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the extinguishing of the last of Kuwait's burning oil wells (Nov. 6, 1991))_

**Q: How many countries' crews took part in the firefighting?**  
A: Crews from 28 countries. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (Scale) · U.S. Department of Defense (GulfLINK): Environmental Exposure Report, Oil Well Fires, Section 3; American Presidency Project: Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the extinguishing of the last of Kuwait's burning oil wells (Nov. 6, 1991))_

**Q: What hardened crust did the oil and soot form?**  
A: 'Tarcrete', a mix of sand, oil and soot. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (Land) · U.S. Department of Defense (GulfLINK): Environmental Exposure Report, Oil Well Fires, Section 3; Kuwait University: Physical properties of soils contaminated by oil lakes, Kuwait)_

## Sources

- [U.S. Department of Defense (GulfLINK): Environmental Exposure Report, Oil Well Fires, Section 3](https://www.gulflink.osd.mil/oil_well_fires/oil_well_fires_sec03.htm)
- [American Presidency Project: Statement by Press Secretary Fitzwater on the extinguishing of the last of Kuwait's burning oil wells (Nov. 6, 1991)](https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/statement-press-secretary-fitzwater-the-extinguishing-the-last-kuwaits-burning-oil-wells)
- [UPI Archives: Kuwait declares end of the worst oil fires in history (Nov. 6, 1991)](https://www.upi.com/Archives/1991/11/06/Kuwait-declares-end-of-the-worst-oil-fires-in-history/4950689403600/)
- [Wikipedia: Kuwaiti oil fires](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuwaiti_oil_fires)
- [Kuwait University: Physical properties of soils contaminated by oil lakes, Kuwait](https://pure.ku.edu.kw/en/publications/physical-properties-of-soils-contaminated-by-oil-lakes-kuwait/)

## Cite this case file

Easterling, Marcus. "Not So Well." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-719, last updated May 26, 2026. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/not-so-well/