Kuwait to drill Al Durra field before Iran border dispute resolved: Oil Minister

Saad Al Barrak, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Oil, and Minister of State for Economic & Investment Affairs of Kuwait has said that his country will start drilling at the Al Durra offshore gas field without resolving a maritime border dispute with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Saad Al Barrak told Sky Arabia on Thursday that Kuwait would start drilling at the Al Durra offshore gas field soon. A source within the Foreign Ministry of Kuwait said, “The maritime area where Al Durra offshore field lies is part of the State of Kuwait’s sea territories, and the natural resources therein are shared between Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

Reportedly, the ministry source further said, “Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have exclusive rights to the natural resources of Al Durra field.”

Earlier, the oil minister also claimed that Kuwait and Saudi Arabia have “exclusive rights” to the Al Durra field in the Arabian Gulf. He called on Iran to validate its claim to the field and resolve maritime border disputes.

Kuwaiti officials also called on the Islamic Republic of Iran to start negotiations over the demarcation of its maritime borders.

Earlier, the Kuwait oil minister also said that his country cannot negotiate with Iran over the Al-Durra gas field until it demarcates its own maritime borders in accordance with international laws.

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The Islamic Republic of Iran previously claimed a stake in the field. Iran also called a Saudi-Kuwaiti agreement signed last year as “illegal.”

Earlier this month, Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Faisal bin Farhan reaffirmed joint ownership over the Al-Durra gas field. He also called on Iran to engage in negotiations with Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

The Al-Durra gas field is an offshore natural gas field located in the neutral zone between Kuwait, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Saudi Arabia.