Saudi Arabia and Kuwait renewed their calls for Iran to hold negotiations on defining the eastern border of the Dorra natural gas field.
Both countries have previously invited Iran to negotiate on defining this boundary of the submerged divided zone, which is home to the natural gas field. However, Iran has not met the calls for negotiations.
A couple of weeks ago, on March 21, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed an agreement that work would begin in order to exploit the Dorra field.
But in late March, Iran also said that it too will begin drilling operations, despite the signed deal by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to jointly develop the enormous offshore field. Iran’s plans are to drill at the Arash gas fields.
Iranian Oil Minister Javad Oji tweeted that comprehensive studies of the joint field were completed by drilling wells and conducting seismic surveys. He also said that while Iran is willing to cooperate and negotiate for developing these fields, unilateral measures will not prevent Iran from implementing the drilling project.
A foreign ministry spokesman for Iran said that Iran views the deal as “illegal” because Tehran is not included in the project and that the gas field should be a joint field between the three countries, as areas of it are located in the water between Iran and Kuwait, where borders have not been drawn.
The field has enormous potential. It is expected to produce 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day, with a whopping 84,000 barrels of condensate daily.
Production is meant to be divided equally between the Saudi Arabian and Kuwaiti sides, as agreed upon in the signed document.
Both countries also agreed to enable the establishment of a joint operating company, Al Khafji, which is a joint venture between the two countries’ massive oil companies, Kuwait Gulf Oil Co. and Aramco Gulf Operations Co.
The development of the natural gas field is meant to help meet the demands of natural gas domestically in each country.
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