Kuwait aims to boost natural gas output, ‘can raise’ oil production

Kuwait aims to boost natural gas output, ‘can raise’ oil production

Kuwait is planning to boost its natural gas production to cater to growing domestic demand and can also increase oil output if required in the market, according to senior executives.

State-owned Kuwait Oil Company, a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, is seeking to ramp up natural gas production, Reuters quoted KOC’s acting chief executive Khaled Al Otaibi as saying at an event on Sunday.

“With the world recovering from the disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, demand for oil and gas returned to its pre-pandemic levels in 2019,” he said.

“In this high prices environment, the company is determined to increase its natural gas production in line with Kuwait Petroleum Corporation’s strategy to meet the domestic demand for energy.”

The Gulf state, which currently produces 650 million cubic feet of gas per day, plans to increase it to one billion, Reuters cited the corporation’s chief executive Sheikh Nawaf Saud Al Sabah as saying on Sunday. No timeframe was specified.

He also said that Kuwait, Opec’s fourth-largest member, can raise crude production if the market needs it.

Oil prices have remained extremely volatile in recent weeks. They posted a third consecutive weekly loss last week on a strong US dollar and as markets await an interest-rate increase