ABU DHABI ø Kuwait plans to invite international firms to bid for a project to develop the sheikdom's northern oil fields.

Officials said the state-owned Kuwait Oil Co. will open the tender for the development of the northern fields in the second half of 2004. They said the government has advanced the drafting of the tender for the multi-billion dollar project to the final stage.

"The Northern Oilfields Project is an important national project and the process of receiving approvals at different levels required will take some time," Bader Al Zuwayer, public relations and information manager of the Kuwait Oil Co., said. "We expect that all necessary approvals will be obtained and that the bidding process will commence some time in the second half of 2004."