At a Glance:

• Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC) has issued a tender to construct a 632 million cubic feet per day (mmcfd) gas processing facility near the Al-Zour refinery.
• The project serves the offshore al-Durra field, known in Baghdad as the Tawina field; a shared maritime area with unresolved border demarcation.
• Iraqi lawmakers argue the project encroaches on Iraq’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and infringes on national maritime rights.
• Legal experts and MPs are urging Baghdad to appeal to the United Nations to halt unilateral extraction until maritime boundaries are finalized.

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Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC) has issued a $3.3 billion tender for an onshore gas processing facility to develop the offshore Al-Durra gas field, sparking immediate backlash from political and legal circles in Baghdad. Iraqi lawmakers view the move as an attempt to establish a unilateral fait accompli over the shared Tawina field before maritime border negotiations are officially concluded.

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Key Statements and Focus Area:

• Representative Saud Al-Saadi, Member of the Iraqi Parliament:
  "Unilateral investment in the Tawina field infringes directly on Iraq's Exclusive Economic Zone. The government must hold responsible ministries accountable and formally raise this violation through international legal channels."

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Project Specifications & Regional Discrepancies

Metric / Parameter	Kuwait Project Details	Iraqi Position / Stance
Field Designation	Al-Durra Gas Field	Tawina Gas Field
Project Valuation	$3.3 Billion USD (Onshore EPC Facility)	Disputed Investment / Encroachment
Daily Gas Processing	632 Million Cubic Feet / Day (mmcfd)	Shared Marine Reserve Asset
Location / Processing	Onshore near Al-Zour Refinery	Lies within Iraq's Exclusive Economic Zone
Legal Status	Tender Issued (Bids due Dec 2026)	Border Demarcation Unresolved

Iraqi Legal Pushback and UN Escalation Demands

Iraqi parliamentary committees have called for immediate diplomatic intervention to protect Baghdad’s sovereign rights over the northern Persian Gulf’s natural resources. Following recent maritime coordinate submissions to the United Nations, MP Saud Al-Saadi submitted formal inquiries demanding action from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Oil. Iraqi legal experts maintain that all industrial extraction or development operations must remain suspended until maritime boundary points are mutually established under UNCLOS frameworks.

Diplomatic and Maritime Impact

The Al-Durra/Tawina field is among the largest unexploited gas deposits in the upper Gulf region. Popular and civic groups in southern Iraq warn that allowing unilateral development without bilateral agreements threatens Iraq's restricted access to deep-water maritime corridors, escalating broader regional energy tensions.

FYI

By pressing ahead with major infrastructure tenders for Al-Durra, Kuwait aims to satisfy pressing domestic natural gas demands. However, taking unilateral operational steps in a disputed zone risks reopening complex diplomatic frictions with Baghdad, underscoring how unresolved Gulf maritime borders continue to impede collaborative energy development.

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