KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Ministry of Oil said Tuesday that the offshore drilling project represents the beginning of a new era of oil and gas in Kuwait, as it is in line with the country’s plans that aim to increase production to four million barrels of oil per day. This came in a speech by the Director of Public Relations and Media at the Ministry, Sheikha Tamader Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, during a discussion panel organized by the Ministry entitled ‘Offshore Drilling Project’.

The program was attended by senior geophysicists and geologists at the Kuwait Oil Company. Maitham Ibrahim and Sheikha Tamader Al-Sabah praised the efforts made by the Kuwait Oil Company in exploration and production operations, which culminated in the discovery of the Al-Nokhatha field in Kuwaiti territorial waters, adding that it is considered the beginning of a new era for exploring marine resources, as it represents a milestone that paves the way for making Kuwait a pioneer in oil and gas production from territorial waters. This enhances Kuwait’s role as a major source of energy at the regional and global levels.

She explained that the project places Kuwait on the map of leading regional producers as a prominent marine operator according to international standards and will provide opportunities to develop national cadres through international partnerships and training programs, which will enhance the country’s ability to compete in this advanced field. In a related context, they reviewed the history of marine exploration in Kuwait, as the first marine exploratory seismic survey was carried out in 1961 by Shell, and in 1962 the first two marine exploratory wells were drilled by the same company.

They discussed the Kuwaiti marine area, estimated at about six thousand square kilometers, where seven exploratory wells were drilled to explore the cretaceous layers, and four wells gave good results, while Well HA-0001 gave expectations of the presence of hydrocarbon materials in a gas layer. They discussed the marine exploration project implemented by the Kuwait Oil Company, where a comprehensive exploratory assessment was conducted, and based on the study, the sites of the six wells were selected.

They mentioned that the Kuwait Oil Company is currently preparing for a high-resolution three-dimensional seismic survey covering the entire Kuwaiti marine area, in addition to studying the best options for early production from the discovered marine wells and then implementing the appropriate infrastructure, establishing production facilities, and studying the best options for establishing a port for marine operations with a capacity to serve four marine drilling platforms at the same time. — KUNA