Khafji Joint Operations - Dorra Field Development Program
Khafji Joint Operations Company plans to start work on the exploitation of the western half of the Dorra and part of the Lulu offshore fields. The Dorra field is estimated to contain non-associated gas reserves of at least 60 trillion cubic feet and production will be shared equally between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran. The demarcation of the concession of the Dorra field is ongoing between Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran.
The dispute originated in the 1960s when concessions, which overlapped in the field, were awarded to two different companies by Iran and Kuwait. Iran made an award to BP (Anglo-Iranian Petroleum Company at the time), while Kuwait made an award to Royal Dutch Shell.
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia agreed to work jointly on the exploitation of the field after Iran drilled at Dorra a few years back. Kuwait currently requires additional gas for its power and water industry and is planning to get supply from Qatar and possibly Iran. This development will have the additional advantage of ethane / NGL for other industrial uses such as petrochemicals.
This project is one of the most important oil and gas projects in the MENA region
The US$10,000 million project includes the following:
Package 1 (Offshore):
1. Construction of offshore packages with seven jackets with five wells each, for a total of 35 wells
2. Construction of a central processing facility
3. Construction of related facilities
4. Drilling of wells
5. Installation of a pipeline network
6. Installation of gas compression facility
7. Installation of gas gathering pipeline network
8. Installation of cables
Package 2A:
1. Installation of seven production deck modules
2. Installation of associated corrosion-resistant alloy-lined pipes
3. Installation of gas compression unit
4. Construction of infrastructure facilities
5. Installation of related utilities
package 2B:
1. Installation of compression and auxiliary platforms
2. Installation of associated trunklines
3. Construction of accommodation platform
4. Installation of cables connecting to the shoreline
5. Construction of infrastructure facilities
6. Installation of other associated facilities
Package 3 (Onshore):
1. Construction of gas processing plant
2. Construction of gas distribution stations
3. Construction of gas compression facility
4. Installation of gas gathering pipeline network
5. Installation of rigid jumpers and valves
6. Installation of safety and security facilities
7. Installation of associated facilities
Second Section
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01 May 2025
Package 1 (Offshore): The bid submission date has been further extended to May 6, 2025. (Source: MEED)
10 April 2025
Package 1 (Offshore): The bid submission date has been further extended to April 22, 2025. (Source: MEED)
20 March 2025
Package 1 (Offshore): The main contract tender has been issued on the project with a bid submission date of March 24, 2025. The following companies are participating in the tendering process: Lamprell, Larsen and Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon, McDermott, NMDC Energy, and Saipem. Package 2A: Package 2B: Package 3 (Onshore): The main contract tender has been issued on the project with a bid submission date of June 30, 2025. The following companies are participating in the tendering process: Lamprell, Larsen and Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon, McDermott, NMDC Energy, and Saipem. (Source: MEED)
06 March 2025
The main contract tender has not yet issued on the project.
17 January 2025
Technip Energies Company is working as the FEED contractor on the Dorra Field Development Program: Onshore I, Dorra Field Development Program: Onshore II and Dorra Gas Field Development Offshore project.
16 January 2025
Technip Energies Company is working as the FEED contractor and the main contract is yet to be awarded on the Dorra Field Development Program: Onshore I, Dorra Field Development Program: Onshore II and Dorra Gas Field Development Offshore project.
01 July 2024
Dorra Gas Field Development Offshore: The initial feasibility studies are completed and FEED works are ongoing and the project is expected to be operational by 2028. Dorra Field Development Program: Onshore I and Dorra Field Development Program: Onshore II: The project is in the initial stage of development.
28 March 2024
Dorra Gas Field Development Offshore: The FEED works are ongoing and are expected to be completed within few months on the project. The client will take investment decision for starting up the work and developing the project.
12 February 2024
Dorra Gas Field Development Offshore: The FEED works are still ongoing on the project and are expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
05 November 2023
Dorra Gas Field Development Offshore: The front-end engineering and design (FEED) work have been progressed up to 30 percent on the project.
23 October 2023
The front-end engineering and design (FEED) work are progressing and is expected to be completed by 2024.
20 September 2023
Technip Energies has been appointed as the FEED contractor to carry out pre-front-end engineering and design (pre-feed) and feed work on the project. The pre-feed work is expected is expected to completed by 2024.
11 August 2023
Drilling works at the offshore gasfield are expected to commence without waiting for a maritime border demarcation dispute with Iran to be resolved. The project is facing legal issues for the development of the project.
06 July 2023
The negotiations are ongoing between the clients for the development of the project.
19 June 2023
Dorra Gas Field Development Offshore: The feasibility studies are ongoing on the project.
19 May 2023
The project is still in initial stages of development.
15 February 2023
The client has approved an additional US$ 10 million (1.5 billion dinars) for drilling and exploration operations to support production and development of the project.
13 December 2022
Aramco Gulf Operations Company and Kuwait Gulf Oil Company have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for jointly developing the offshore Dorra gas field. (Source: MEED)
27 November 2022
Market sources indicate that there is no news on the development of the project.
01 August 2022
There is no news on the development of the project.
05 April 2022
Kuwaitâs parliament is planning to discuss the future development of the project during the budget meetings in April. (Source: MEED)
30 March 2022
The project has been revived by Saudi and Kuwaiti energy ministries for the development project. Aramco Gulf Operations Company (AGOC) is looking to offer investment opportunities to investors. (Source: MEED)
20 May 2015
The project is cancelled.
10 February 2015
The project is still on hold and the time frame for the revival is unknown at this moment.
10 November 2014
The project is still on hold and the time frame for the revival is unknown at this moment.
13 August 2014
The project is still onhold due to disagreements between the governments of Saudi Arabia & Kuwait.
10 June 2014
The project is kept onhold due to some pending issues with partners.
14 March 2014
The project is kept onhold due to lack of funds and international conditions that created problems for foreign investors, money transfer and supply of goods, equipment and technologies.
30 August 2013
Market sources indicate that the project is put on hold due to disagreements between the governments of Saudi Arabia & Kuwait over how to share the gas back on land. The plan had been to share Dorra's gas at an offshore facility and pump it down separate pipelines to the project partners. But the original plan to pump its share direct to a Kuwaiti beach near a big gas fired power plant is also stuck because of land disputes between Kuwaiti energy companies.
17 April 2013
A company active on the project quoted that the pre-qualification documents for the project have not been issued and are likely to be issued in near future.
01 March 2013
A company active on the project quoted that the project is moving at a slow pace. Also the pre-qualification procedure is likely to be re-done, nothing yet confirmed as the client is tight lipped on the project. KJO will finalise on a decision how to proceed with the project.
12 December 2012
Saudi Aramco has awarded the five year General Engineering Services Plus (GES+) contract to SNC-Lavalin. SNC-Lavalin will carry out a range of front-end studies, will perform preliminary and detailed engineering, and provide procurement and construction management support for onshore and offshore hydrocarbon and industrial projects.
08 October 2012
Main contract tenders for the offshore project are likely to be released in early 2013 as quoted in MEED article dtd October 7, 2012.
26 September 2012
Market sources indicate that the project has been delayed due to country disputes between Kuwait and Iran. The delay is due to issues about where the gas is supposed to be delivered. Once the disputes are resolved, work on the project will commence. The tender for the project is not expected soon owing to this delay.
02 May 2012
FEED is expected to be completed by June 2012, quoted in MEED article dtd May 02, 2012.
02 May 2012
The EPC prequalification for the offshore portion of the project is complete.
21 February 2012
Feed is ongoing.
08 November 2011
Drilling works has just commenced. (04/11/2011)
27 July 2011
Prospective Prequalifiers *JRay McDermott *Leighton Offshore *National Petroleum Construction Company *Saipem *Swiber
13 June 2011
The project is running behind schedule due to lack of agreement between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia countries over the route, the pipeline will take from the field. (08/06/2011)
11 March 2011
*Determination of the cost and most appropriate processing facilities for the Dorra gas field development: WorleyParsons
11 March 2011
The gas from the field will be used by Kuwait in domestic power generation and production of petrochemicals.
11 March 2011
WorleyParsons is conducting a study to determine the cost and most appropriate processing facilities for about 1.5 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d), although the volume of gas is yet to be finalised.
07 June 2010
Management & Operation Agility has won a $17m five year deal to provide on-site warehousing management and operation services; receiving, storing and transferring materials to different units; maintenance of the yards and warehouses including involvement with the documentation and inventory assistance.
24 February 2010
Study Two unidentified companies have been awarded the pre-feasibilty study contract in January 2010. Based on study Khafji Joint Operations Company will decide whether to go ahead with the project or not. (24/02/2010)
03 December 2009
Drilling operation has been delayed, earlier drilling was expected to commence by December 2009. (02/12/2009)
03 October 2008
*Seismic Survey The 2D and 3D seismic study field has been completed. (01/12/2008)
22 August 2008
Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC) is expected to invest an estimated $4000-5000m.
19 August 2006
*Study - 3D Seismic Survey ContractThe following companie bid the contract:*Arabian Geophysical & Surveying Company (Argas)*Western Geco GSI*BGS
20 May 2006
*Seismic surveyThe seismic survey will take about 26 months to complete.
14 January 2006
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have decided to proceed with the exploration of the undisputed southern area of the Dorra gas field. Talks between Kuwait and Iran regarding the demarcation of their maritime border are ongoing.(29/09/2007)
29 October 2004
Kuwait - Iran TalksIt is learnt that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have put the project indefinitely on hold till the maritime border issue with Iran is resolved. Recent diplomatic parleys between the Kuwaiti government and their Iranian counterparts over the boundary of the offshore Dorra gas field suggests' a thawing of the longstanding deadlock.(28/08/05)
14 August 2003
Project Status KGOC will issue a tender during late Q3/early Q4 2003 for a contract to carry out seismic studies. The study will encompass all the technical operations necessary for the development of the gasfield in the offshore partitioned zone. Japan's Arabian Oil Company (AOC) and Saudi Aramco carried out earlier geological surveys of the field jointly.
22 May 2002
Khafji Joint Operations Company plans to start work on exploitation of the western half of the Dorra and part of the Lulu offshore fields. The Dorra field is estimated to contain non-associated gas reserves of at least 60 trillion cubic feet and production will be shared equally between Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iran. The demarcation of the concession of the Dorra field is ongoing between Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iran. The dispute originated in the 1960s when concessions, which overlapped in the field, were awarded to two different companies by Iran and Kuwait. Iran made an award to BP (Anglo-Iranian Petroleum Company at the time), while Kuwait made an award to Royal Dutch Shell. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia agreed to work jointly on exploitation of the field, after Iran drilled at Dorra a few years back. Kuwait currently requires additional gas for its power and water industry and is planning to get supply from Qatar and possibly Iran. This development will have the additional advantage of ethane / NGL for other industrial uses such as petrochemicals.
22 May 2002
Project StatusIn April 2002, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia set up a joint technical committee to begin development of the technical planning aspect of the project.