Saudi Arabia & Kuwait Are Going To Develop Dorra Gas Field Despite Iran’s Objections
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Roshan Amiri
- . April 14, 2022
- . Update: April 14, 2022 7:36 pm
Iran–Despite Iranian objections, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are going to develop a disputed gas field, while asking Tehran to partake in boundary negotiations. However, the two nations also extended a new invitation to Iran to talk over the gas field’s boundary, which has been the subject of a decades-long dispute.
Iran’s Statement
As per the AFP, the Gulf allies will stick to their agreement to construct the Arash/Dorra coastal gas field, which Iran has called “illegal.”
Statement of 2 Gulf Allies
“Saudi Arabia and Kuwait confirm their right to use natural resources in this area,” it stated, noting that “they will continue to endeavor to enforce what was agreed upon.”
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Views of Tehran
On March 30, Tehran warned the agreement “violated previously held agreements,” and it “reserves its right to exploit.”
When did this conflict start?
The conflict arises as energy costs remain high in the aftermath of Russia’s attack on Ukraine. The dispute over the field emerged in the 1960s, after Iran and Kuwait offered coastal concessions to the old Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, the founder to BP, and Royal Dutch Shell, respectively.
In the north part of the field, where recoverable reserves are believed to be around 220 billion cubic meters (7 trillion cubic feet), the two contracts overlapped. For many years, Iran and Kuwait have attempted to resolve their maritime border dispute over a natural gas-rich region, but their efforts have been in vain.
The excavation of the field by Iran in 2001 prompted Kuwait with Saudi Arabia to sign a maritime border agreement in which they agreed to cooperatively utilize the offshore zone’s natural resources. In March, Kuwait estimated the field would generate 1 billion cubic feet of natural gas a day and 84,000 barrels of condensate per day.
The Statement
“As a single negotiating party, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and also the State of Kuwait reiterate their offer to the Islamic Republic of Iran to conduct these conversations,” the statement mentioned.
