Kuwait Unveils Plan to Prepare Durra Field, Sovereign Investment Fund for Local Investment

People watch as the "buck moon" rises over the skyline of Kuwait City on July 3, 2023. (AFP)
People watch as the "buck moon" rises over the skyline of Kuwait City on July 3, 2023. (AFP)
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Kuwait Unveils Plan to Prepare Durra Field, Sovereign Investment Fund for Local Investment

People watch as the "buck moon" rises over the skyline of Kuwait City on July 3, 2023. (AFP)
People watch as the "buck moon" rises over the skyline of Kuwait City on July 3, 2023. (AFP)

The Kuwaiti government has announced a plan to strengthen the comprehensive infrastructure of the offshore Durra oil and gas field.

Not only that, the government will also look to elevate the production of unrestricted gas (excluding the Divided Zone) from 521 million cubic feet per day to a staggering 930 million cubic feet per day.

The recently unveiled four-year government action plan, spanning from 2023 to 2027, has been submitted to the National Assembly, outlining the meticulous preparations for the infrastructure development of the Durra field.

According to the plan, the infrastructure provisioning for the field is slated to take place in the fourth year of the program.

Parliament Speaker Ahmed Al-Sadoun has extended an invitation to convene a special session next Tuesday to discuss the government’s action plan.

The government has revealed its intention to study the establishment of a sovereign investment fund to drive development and enhance local economic activity.

Additionally, it includes a strategy to elevate the classification of Kuwait’s financial markets from emerging markets to advanced emerging markets by the FTSE Russell Index.

Moreover, another plan aims to gradually digitize 90% of government services over the next four years.

The government plan aims to empower the private sector to fulfill its role “under effective state oversight” while ensuring that the state establishes an atmosphere of trust to encourage local investment and attract foreign capital.

The government’s action program also includes the development of a comprehensive framework for reviewing salaries in the public sector through updating the strategic alternative study.

This is intended to align compensation with merit and productivity, while encouraging a shift towards private sector employment to streamline costs on the state’s finances.

Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah emphasized that the government’s action program aims to solidify reforms, address challenges, and boost development for the progress of the country.



Oil Prices Edge up as Market Assesses Trump's Tariff Plans

FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo
TT

Oil Prices Edge up as Market Assesses Trump's Tariff Plans

FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A ship is moored near storage tanks at an oil refinery off the coast of Singapore October 17, 2008. REUTERS/Vivek Prakash/File Photo

Oil prices picked up on Tuesday, after the previous session's sell-off, as the market assessed US President-elect Donald Trump's planned trade tariffs on Mexico and Canada and his aim to increase US crude production.

Oil prices had fallen more than $2 a barrel on Monday after multiple reports that Israel and Lebanon had agreed to the terms of a ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah conflict. A senior Israeli official said Israel looks set to approve a US plan for a ceasefire on Tuesday, but some analysts said Monday's sell-off in oil prices had been overdone.

Brent crude futures were up 43 cents, or 0.6%, at $73.44 a barrel as of 1414 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures were at $69.38 a barrel, up 44 cents, or 0.6%.

Brent crude futures fluctuated between $73.30 and $73.80 a barrel in afternoon trading.

"Today’s intra-day fluctuations are probably more of the function of assessing Trump’s overnight pledge to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China," PVM analyst Tamas Varga said.

On Monday, Trump said he would impose a 25% tariff on all products coming into the US from Mexico and Canada.

The vast majority of Canada's 4 million bpd of crude exports go to the US Analysts have said it is unlikely Trump would impose tariffs on Canadian oil, which cannot be easily replaced since it differs from grades that the US produces.

On Monday, Reuters reported that Trump's team is also preparing an energy package to roll out within days of his taking office that would increase oil drilling.

A senior executive at Exxon Mobil said on Tuesday that US oil and gas producers are unlikely to "radically increase'' production.

OPEC+ MEETING

Market reaction on Monday to the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire news was "over the top" as the broader Middle East conflict has "never actually disrupted supplies significantly to induce war premiums" this year, said senior market analyst Priyanka Sachdeva at Phillip Nova.

Elsewhere, OPEC+ at its next meeting on Sunday may consider leaving its current oil output cuts in place from Jan. 1. The producer group is already postponing hikes amid global demand worries.