Failaka Island – Places in News

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) announced a significant oil discovery in the Al-Nokhatha field, located east of the Kuwaiti island of Failaka.

Key Details

• Reserves: The oil reserves in this new field are estimated at 3.2 billion barrels.
• Production Equivalence: These reserves are equivalent to Kuwait’s entire oil production over a span of three years. Area: The newly discovered oil well covers an area of approximately 96 square kilometers.

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Failaka Island Geographical Features

• Failaka Island is a Kuwaiti island in the northern hemisphere. 
• It is situated in the Persian Gulf.
• Bordering Regions: Failaka Island  is bordered by:
  • East : The Persian Gulf 
  • West: Faces the open expanse of the Gulf.
    • It connects the island to the vast sea.
  • North: Close to the mainland of Kuwait.
  • South: Opens up to the Gulf.
    • It allows maritime traffic and historical trade routes to pass through this strategic location.

Important Points to be Remembered:

• Capital : Kuwait (city)
• Mountain range: Failaka Island is relatively flat and lacks significant mountain ranges. 
  • Its terrain is characterized by sandy soil, coastal plains, and low hills.
• Rivers: It is strategically located near the point where the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers empty into the Persian Gulf.
• Failaka Island Economy: Kuwait’s main income source is from the oil and gas sector.
  • The Al-Zour refinery, one of the world’s largest, has a capacity to process 615,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
  • Contribution in GDP: Oil and gas contribute nearly 60% of Kuwait’s GDP and 95% of its export earnings.
• Historical Significance: 
  • Served as a crucial point in the Persian Gulf for thousands of years.
  • Allowed its rulers to dominate the profitable trade routes in the region.
  • Held strategic value since the emergence of the Sumerian city-state of Ur in Mesopotamia.
  • Early Settlement: First settled by Mesopotamians around 2000 BC.
  • Architecture: Featured many Mesopotamian-style buildings similar to those found in Iraq dating back to around 2000 BC.
  • Dilmun Civilization:
    • Bay of Kuwait, including Failaka Island, was part of the Dilmun civilization from 4000 BC to 2000 BC.

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