Petroleum industry in Kuwait

The petroleum industry in Kuwait is the biggest industry in the country, making up almost half of its money. Kuwait has a lot of oil, with about 104 billion barrels, which is about 9% of all the oil in the world. This makes Kuwait's oil reserves the sixth largest in the world. The Burgan Field is one of the biggest oil fields anywhere. Kuwait is also one of the top oil producers and exporters in the world, making about 7% of all the oil used globally.

The government of Kuwait owns the oil industry, so it has a big say in how the country’s money is spent. Oil brings in a lot of money, about 43 percent of the country's GDP. How much oil Kuwait sells depends on what it needs at home and what the world needs and can pay for. Kuwait is part of a group called OPEC, which tries to decide how much oil each country can sell, but sometimes countries don’t follow the rules.

Kuwait has several important oil companies that do different jobs. Kuwait Petroleum Corporation sells oil around the world. Kuwait Oil Company looks for oil and makes sure it can be used. Kuwait National Petroleum Company runs the places where oil is turned into other products. There are also companies that make chemicals, sell oil in other countries, and even help train workers. These companies work together to make sure Kuwait’s oil is used in many ways, from fueling cars to making products we use every day.

Recent exploration

On May 26, 2025, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait made a big discovery of oil in an area called the Partitioned Zone, close to the North Wafra Wara-Burgan field. This spot is about five kilometers from the Wafra field. The well produced more than 500 barrels of crude oil each day. This was the first successful find since the two countries started working together again in 2020, showing their teamwork in energy and their focus on keeping the world's oil supply safe.