Kuwait Oil Production Today | Oil Production Live

Current production

~2.7M bbl/day

barrels per day

World share

~3%

of global output

Proven reserves

~102 billion barrels

barrels

OPEC member

Yes

About Kuwait oil production

The Greater Burgan Field and Eight Decades of Production

Kuwait is one of the most oil-rich nations on earth relative to its size — a small country of just 18,000 square kilometers with a population of under 4.5 million that sits atop approximately 7 percent of the world's proven oil reserves. Kuwait produces around 2.7 million barrels per day almost entirely from a single giant structure — the Greater Burgan field in southern Kuwait — which is the second largest oil field ever discovered and has been producing continuously since 1938.

Kuwait's oil industry is operated by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation — KPC — and its subsidiaries, all fully state-owned. Unlike the UAE which has opened equity stakes to international companies, Kuwait has maintained strict state ownership of its oil resources — a political commitment that has occasionally limited the pace of development by restricting access to international capital and technology on commercial terms.

The Greater Burgan field — comprising the Burgan, Magwa, and Ahmadi structures — has been producing for over 80 years and remains the backbone of Kuwaiti output. Despite its age the field still contains enormous recoverable reserves though maintaining production requires increasing water injection and enhanced recovery investment as natural pressure declines.

Kuwait has targeted expansion to 4 million barrels per day production capacity but has struggled to reach this goal due to the complexity of managing an aging giant field, political disputes over opening the neutral zone shared with Saudi Arabia, and periodic disagreements within OPEC+ about production levels. Kuwait's oil revenues fund one of the most generous welfare states on earth for its citizens.

Quick Facts

Kuwait

Production	~2.7 million bbl/day
World share	~3%
Primary regions	Greater Burgan field, southern Kuwait
National oil company	Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC)
OPEC member	Yes
Proven reserves	~102 billion barrels
Data source	EIA / OPEC estimates

Did you know

Interesting Facts About Kuwait Oil

1

The Greater Burgan field is the second largest oil field ever discovered — behind only Saudi Arabia's Ghawar — and has produced an estimated 30 to 35 billion barrels of oil since 1938, yet still contains reserves that could sustain current production rates for many more decades.

2

During the Gulf War in 1991 retreating Iraqi forces set fire to over 700 Kuwaiti oil wells creating one of the worst environmental disasters in history — oil fires that burned for months and took an international firefighting effort nearly a year to extinguish entirely.

3

Kuwait's oil revenues are so substantial relative to its small population that Kuwaiti citizens pay no income tax, receive heavily subsidised utilities and fuel, and benefit from free healthcare and education — all funded by petroleum exports that give each citizen an effective oil wealth share worth millions of dollars.

Common questions

Frequently Asked Questions

How much oil does Kuwait produce per day?

Kuwait produces approximately 2.7 million barrels of crude oil per day, almost entirely from the Greater Burgan field in southern Kuwait. The country has expressed ambitions to expand capacity to 4 million barrels per day but has faced challenges reaching that target due to aging field management complexity and OPEC+ production constraints.

What is the Burgan oil field?

The Greater Burgan field is the second largest oil field ever discovered, located in southern Kuwait and comprising three connected structures — Burgan, Magwa, and Ahmadi. Discovered in 1938 and producing commercially since 1946, it has been the foundation of Kuwait's oil economy for nearly 80 years. Despite its age it still contains enormous recoverable reserves and remains one of the most productive oil structures in the world.

How did the Gulf War affect Kuwait's oil production?

Iraq's invasion and occupation of Kuwait in 1990-1991 caused catastrophic damage to Kuwaiti oil infrastructure. Retreating Iraqi forces set fire to over 700 oil wells creating massive fires that burned for months before international teams could extinguish them. Production collapsed to near zero during the occupation but recovered remarkably quickly after liberation — Kuwait was producing over 1 million barrels per day within a year of the war ending and returned to pre-war levels within two years.

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