14 April 2022; MEMO: Saudi Arabia and Kuwait yesterday reiterated a call for Iran to join negotiations on defining the eastern boundary of the Dorra gas field.
"Saudi Arabia and … Kuwait affirmed their right to exploit the natural resources in this area and that they will continue working to enforce what was agreed upon on March 21, 2022," the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement reported by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
The statement added that Riyadh and Kuwait "reiterate, as one negotiating party, their invitation to the Islamic Republic of Iran to hold negotiations (…) on defining the eastern boundary of the submerged divided zone where the field is located," adding that the two countries had previously called on Tehran to hold such talks, however Iran did not respond.
Last month, the oil ministers of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait agreed to "begin work to exploit the Dorra field, located in the submerged divided zone" between the two countries, however, Tehran rejected the agreement and branded it "illegal".
At the time, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, said any step for investment and development in the field must be carried out in coordination and cooperation between the three countries.
The dispute comes at a time when prices of energy resources such as oil and gas are witnessing a significant increase against the backdrop of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and fears of its impact on supplies.
According to estimates, Dorra's recoverable gas reserves could reach up to 200 billion cubic metres.
