Riyadh has recently called upon Tehran to commence talks regarding the demarcation of the maritime border within the disputed Durra natural gas field. This field is claimed by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iran, leading to heightened tensions in the region. The Saudi press agency, citing a reliable source within the kingdom's foreign ministry, reported this on Tuesday.
According to the report, the Maghmura divided zone, including the Durra deposit, holds natural resources that are jointly owned by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It further emphasizes that only these two countries possess the right to extract minerals from the area. The kingdom has reiterated its appeal for Iran to engage in negotiations, focusing on the demarcation of the eastern border of the zone that is divided between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, in compliance with international law provisions.
On March 21 of the previous year, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement to jointly develop and exploit the Durra field. Located in a neutral zone along the border between the two states in the Persian Gulf, the field is projected to produce approximately 28.3 million cubic meters of natural gas and 84 thousand barrels of gas condensate per day. The production volumes will be equally divided between the two countries, in accordance with the established maritime boundaries. However, Tehran has strongly condemned the agreement, asserting its rights to the gas field.
In 2019, the authorities of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia signed multiple agreements and a memorandum of understanding pertaining to the development of oil and gas fields within the neutral zone along their shared border. Local experts estimate that the oil reserves in this region account for approximately 0.5% of the world's total reserves.
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Based on materials from TASS