Fields of Fire

The Kuwaiti oil fires of the 1991 Gulf War were a tactic used by the Iraqi military in preparation for the US invasion. As US forces descended upon the region, the Iraqi army set fire to over 600 oil wells, using the smoke to conceal troop movement and setting fire to man made oil spills to create massive area denial in order to slow the US advance.

It has been estimated that 9 billion barrels of oil were burned over 11 months, as the final well was extinguished in November of 1991. This loss is speculated to have been about 10% of Kuwait's oil supply at the time.

Accounting for today's economy and oil usage, 9 billion barrels would be less than 10 days of global supply.

Should militaries destroy critical infrastructure in modern conflicts like the Nord stream pipeline or Iran's oil and gas systems? What does victory at any cost look like? It has looked like fields and geysers of flame and black smoke blotting out the desert sun.

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