A Kuwaiti oil official said on Thursday that the Gulf state will begin drilling in al-Durra disputed gas field, further complicating the dispute with Iran that also involves Saudi Arabia.
Oil Minister Saad Al Barrak told Sky News Arabia that Kuwait will start drilling and begin production in the Durra field without waiting for the demarcation of its maritime border with Iran, Reuters reported.
Background: Al-Durra gas field, known as Arash in Iran, is in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Kuwait. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait consider the field to be located within their neutral zone, but Iran claims a northern part of the field.
The dispute dates back to the 1960s, but has heated up recently. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed a deal last year to develop the deal. Iran called the move illegal. In June, the National Iranian Oil Company said it is preparing to drill in Durra. Both Kuwait and Saudi Arabia publicly rejected this earlier this month.
