ShareKUWAIT: The Kuwaiti Ministry of Oil (MoO) confirmed that the offshore exploration drilling project enters a new and promising era of oil and gas exploration operations in the country, contributing to achieving the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’s 2040 strategy and increasing its production capacity. The Director of Public Relations and Media at the Ministry Sheikha Tamader Khaled Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah said during a discussion panel organized by the ministry on Wednesday entitled “Offshore Drilling Project,” that the project currently being implemented by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) will broaden horizons for a future that the country looks forward to for further development.
She pointed out KOC’s keenness to ensure that the offshore drilling experience is complete, integrated and safe in all its aspects, underscoring the aim of achieving the maximum benefit. On his side, Senior Geophysicist at KOC Maitham Ebrahim underlined the importance of the marine exploration project as a national project whose purpose is to contribute to increasing Kuwait’s reserves of hydrocarbon resources. The project ensures the continuity of new hydrocarbon resources to meet the needs of the global market and enhances Kuwait’s role as one of the reliable producers in the world, Ebrahim said.
The project includes Kuwait among the leading regional players as a prominent marine operator in accordance with international standards and ensures the addition of new technical specializations connected to offshore drilling operations and the creation of new and diverse job opportunities, he added. Meanwhile, Senior Geologist at KOC Ahmad Al-Otaibi said that the stages of the current marine exploration project focused on implementing a two-dimensional seismic survey, studying the areas surrounding the marine area, conducting geophysical and geological studies to know the details of the earth’s layers and their compositions, identifying the best marine drilling sites, and preparing for logistical operations.
The marine area represents approximately one-third of Kuwait’s total land area, and the program includes drilling six exploratory wells to explore for oil and gas in the marine areas of Kuwait as a first stage, and based on the drilling results, the subsequent stages will be determined successively, Al-Otaibi stated. During the marine exploratory project, two jackup rigs were used, and a marine risk assessment was carried out and all obstacles were removed to ensure that the drilling platforms reached the drilling sites and settled safely. Drilling of the first exploratory well began using the Oriental Phoenix rig.
The Oriental Dragon drilling rig is expected to begin drilling the second exploratory well soon, he mentioned. He pointed out the use of the latest methods and means during drilling operations, which protect the surrounding marine area from pollution. The workers also undergo special training for this purpose, he added, indicating that if any accident occurs, it will be dealt with within the emergency response plan prepared in advance for all possible scenarios. – KUNA
