KUWAIT CITY, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- A Kuwaiti oil expert has called for more cooperation between Kuwaiti and Chinese oil companies at a seminar on heavy oil development technology.

       The seminar, which included China Oilfield Services Limited (COSL) Middle East Company, the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) and the Kuwait Oil Company, took place on Thursday and discussed the challenges and opportunities of heavy oil production in Kuwait.

       Dawoud Bahzad, acting executive director of KISR's Petroleum Research Center, said the Kuwait Oil Company needs to increase production capacity to meet government requirements and that heavy oil technology is an urgent need. He said the COSL has advanced technology and rich experience in the field.

       Zhang Bo, the COSL's deputy general manager of production optimization, said the cooperation between China and Kuwait has complementary advantages and that the seminars laid the foundation for future cooperation in the field.

       The COSL and KISR also signed a memorandum of understanding on heavy oil development technology and agreed to jointly establish a joint institute for heavy oil development and production to solve oilfield problems, the company said.