'Kuwait's (oil) policy will not change. It will continue to co-operate with Opec in the interest of both producers and consumers,' an official, who declined to be named, said. 'The oil sector is running as normal, both production and exports.' Kuwait, the fourth-biggest producer in Opec, is pumping at around 2.68 million barrels per day (bpd). It controls about 10 per cent of global oil Under the constitution, Crown Prince Shaikh Saad Al Abdulla Al Sabah will become Amir. But analysts say they expect Saad to be a figurehead, while Prime Minister Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah will continue to effectively run the country -- a role he has played over the past four years. "The country has been run by Shaikh Sabah for years. Policy will remain stable. It will not be affected by any change in the guard," former Kuwaiti oil minister Ali Al Baghli said. Kuwaiti Oil Minister Shaikh Ahmad Al Fahd Al Sabah said at last month's Opec meeting that Kuwait, which has a formal Opec quota of 2.247 million bpd, would continue to meet the needs of global oil markets. Kuwait's government is trying to push through parliament the $8.5 billion Project Kuwait, involving multinationals to upgrade four major northern oilfields to help boost its production capacity, which now totals 2.7 million bpd. "The country has set a long-term oil strategy which will not change. It is committed to increasing production capacity to meet the needs of the oil markets," Baghli said. "Project Kuwait will eventually pass after parliament adds the legal touches and some regulatory restrictions on the government," he said. Parliament, where several MPs have objected to the plan in its current form, is due to hold a special session on Jan. 23 to discuss the long-awaited project, which has been under discussion since the early 1990s. International consortiums led by BP, ExxonMobil and Chevron are competing for the project. The investment contract would allow firms to operate the fields for a fixed period, but would not involve production-sharing, concessions or the booking of reserves. Some members of Kuwait's parliament have objected to the project, saying it does not provide guarantees to safeguard Kuwait's oil wealth. Kuwait says the plan is strategically important to help boost output. PIN/REUTERS