On Sunday, Iran affirmed its adherence to what it described as its “rights” in the disputed “Durra” gas field with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, in the event that the two countries did not want to reach an “understanding” about it.
Iranian Oil Minister Javad Auchi said, “If there is no desire to reach an understanding and cooperation, Iran will put on its agenda securing its rights and interests and extracting and exploring for these resources,” according to the official IRNA news agency.
He stressed that “Iran has always supported peaceful solutions regarding land and water border issues with neighboring countries,” but that it “will not tolerate any loss of its rights” in this regard.
The dispute over the field, known as Arush in Iran, and Al-Durra in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, goes back decades.
Tensions have been raised again regarding it recently, after Tehran announced its willingness to start exploration, and Riyadh and Kuwait responded by confirming that they had “exclusive rights” regarding it.
On Thursday, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Saad Al-Barrak told Sky News Arabia that Kuwait would start exploration and production in the Dorra gas field, without waiting for the border demarcation with Iran.
Al-Barrak had said earlier that Kuwait and Saudi Arabia had an “exclusive right” to the gas field, and called on Iran to begin demarcating its maritime borders first in order to assert its claims in the field.
Tehran has previously said that it has a stake in the field, and described the Saudi-Kuwaiti agreement signed last year to develop it as “illegal,” according to Reuters.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait confirmed in early July that they “only” have the right to exploit the natural resources in the field located in the Gulf waters, following Tehran’s announcement of its readiness to start exploration.
Kuwait renewed its call on Iran to resume maritime border demarcation talks.
The dispute between Iran and Kuwait dates back to the sixties of the last century, when each party granted the right to explore in offshore fields to two different companies, which are the rights that intersect in the northern part of the Dorra field.
The extractable gas reserves from Durra are estimated at about 200 billion cubic meters, according to “Agence France Presse”.
For years, Iran and Kuwait have held talks to settle the dispute over the continental shelf area on the maritime borders between the two countries, but they did not lead to any results.
Iran’s start of exploration in Durra in 2001 prompted Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to reach an agreement to demarcate their maritime borders and plan to develop joint oil deposits.
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2023-07-30 15:22:29
