Navigation resumes at Kuwait’s ports following dust storm

　　Navigation has resumed at Kuwait’s ports as of 8 am local time (0500 GMT) June 19, following disruptions due to a severe dust storm, which began June 17, the country’s ports authority said in a statement.

　　The storm triggered high winds and poor visibility, which significantly hindered Kuwait’s maritime operations.”Navigation resumed at Shuwaikh, Shuaiba and Doha Ports on Saturday after weather improvement following severely dusty conditions,” the announcement said.

　　On June 17, tanker congestion in Kuwait’s waterways increased to 9.1 days, from 1.6 days on June 11, S&P Global Platts reported at the time.

　　Kuwait is a challenging country for tanker operations when weather is rough because vessels are restricted to narrow channels due to unexploded ordnances offshore, which were planted during the 1990-91 war.

　　Such disruptions can have economic impacts for the oil rich state. Oil accounts for nearly half of Kuwait’s GDP, around 95% of exports, and approximately 90% of government revenue, according to the US International Trade Administration.

　　In May, Kuwait produced an average of 2.36 million b/d of crude, in line with its production quota of 2.358 million b/d under the supply accord between OPEC and its allies, according to the most recent Platts survey of the group’s output.