A joint committee linking Kuwait and Saudi Arabia convened for talks on Monday aiming to explore future oil projects and plans in an area between the two Gulf Arab neighbors’ borders, known as the Divided Zone.
The talks examined any potential obstacles that could hinder the completion of “strategic” projects in the jointly run oilfields of Khafji and Wafrah, said an oil ministry statement, citing training programs for national workforces and the use of “modern technology” as part of these plans.
The close rapport established by the respective oil ministries of the two OPEC members is a testament to the “closeness” of bilateral ties, the statement cited ministry undersecretary Sheikh Dr. Nimr Al-Sabah as saying, adding that the threat posed by the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 on the oil industry could force “emergency plans.” The Kuwaiti official hailed as “historic” a 2019 accord between his country and Riyadh to resume oil output from the divided zone after a more than four year halt, attributing the breakthrough to the “diligent efforts” of the two Gulf Arab neighbors.
Oil production in the Kuwait-Saudi Neutral Zone is divided equally between the two countries.
Source: Kuwait News Agency