Empowering Kuwait’s energy future: Kuwait Oil Company highlights strategic achievements

AHMAD JABER AL-EIDAN, Chief Executive Officer, Kuwait Oil Company

AHMAD JABER AL-EIDAN, Chief Executive Officer, Kuwait Oil Company

Kuwait Oil Company stands at the forefront of the region’s energy transformation—delivering strategic production, pioneering sustainability and driving innovation to secure Kuwait’s energy future. Over the past year, KOC has achieved a series of landmark milestones across multiple domains, reinforcing our role as a cornerstone of national progress and global energy security.

OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND PRODUCTION ACHIEVEMENTS

Through disciplined execution, technical innovation and robust field management, KOC sustained a total production system capacity above 2.675 MMbopd, demonstrating its operational resilience and effective production management, Fig. 1.

In January 2024, KOC successfully completed polymer pumping for its polymer injection project in Umm Niqa field’s Lower Fars reservoir, representing one of a few small-scale implementations of polymer injection in heavy oil reservoirs worldwide. This targeted application achieved increased oil production, an uplift in hydrocarbon reserves, improved production sustainability and reduced water cut. 

These accomplishments reflect KOC’s operational resilience and reservoir stewardship.

In parallel, KOC delivered a robust drilling and rig activity program, drilling over 540 new wells and executing more than 2,000 workover operations during the year, Fig. 2. These efforts significantly reduced the workover backlog to approximately 5% of total producing wells, positioning KOC at the lower benchmark range of international best practices, which typically spans from 5% to 10%. This level of performance underscores KOC’s focus on maximizing asset uptime, sustaining reservoir productivity and enhancing overall production efficiency.

Fig. 1. KOC achieved sustained, total production capacity above 2.675 MMbopd, thanks to disciplined execution, technical innovation and robust field management. Image: KOC.

GAS PRODUCTION AND ENERGY SECURITY

KOC continues to strengthen its position as a key provider of natural gas for the State of Kuwait, with free gas production exceeding 635 MMscfd and total gas output surpassing 2 Bscfd. This performance was enabled by enhanced Jurassic drilling and workover operations, as well as improvements in operational efficiency and asset utilization across upstream gas facilities. 

Concurrently, KOC achieved a significant reduction in gas flaring, bringing the rate down to 0.51%, a level that reflects sustained commitment to emissions management and environmental responsibility, even under operational constraints.

These accomplishments have reinforced the reliability of domestic gas supply, helping to meet Kuwait’s growing power generation energy demands, while supporting the nation’s broader energy diversification and sustainability objectives. Through disciplined execution and optimization of gas operations, KOC continues to deliver high-impact results that align with the state’s energy priorities and environmental aspirations.

EXPLORATION AND RESOURCE REPLACEMENT

Fig. 2. KOC drilled over 540 new wells and executed more than 2,000 workover operations during the past year. Image: KOC.

KOC made significant strides in exploration during 2023/2024, reinforcing its long-term resource base and future production potential. Most notably, Kuwait’s first offshore light oil discovery was confirmed from the Lower Cretaceous Minagish reservoir through the drilling and testing of the Noukhatha-1 well, which recorded a production rate of approximately 2,800 bpd of light oil and 7 MMscfd of associated gas. This milestone marks a historic achievement for Kuwait’s energy sector and expands the country’s hydrocarbon frontiers beyond its onshore legacy. To maximize the potential of this discovery, KOC has strategically partnered with leading international players, including Halliburton, to advance its offshore exploration efforts in a phased manner.

A second offshore discovery was made in Jlai’a field, advancing Phase I of the offshore exploration campaign. The second phase is already in planning, with nine additional offshore locations identified for further evaluation.

Onshore, KOC achieved promising exploration milestones in the Marrat, Najmah-Sargelu, Minagish and Zubair formations, contributing to a strengthened reserve portfolio. These combined efforts reflect KOC’s strategic commitment to resource replacement, frontier development, and securing Kuwait’s production sustainability for decades to come.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION AND SMART OPERATIONS

Digital transformation is a cornerstone of KOC’s operational strategy, driving efficiency, performance and resilience across the upstream value chain. In the past year, KOC has accelerated the deployment of smart field technologies, integrating advanced analytics, AI and machine learning across its operations. These tools are being applied in critical areas such as predictive maintenance, reservoir characterization and drilling optimization, enabling the company to proactively manage risks, reduce non-productive time and enhance well performance. Real-time surveillance platforms have been expanded across Jurassic production assets, improving reservoir forecasting and allowing for more agile and data-driven resource deployment.

KOC has established a centralized emergency command center and rolled out intelligent field solutions to strengthen asset integrity, incident response and integrated decision-making. These initiatives collectively reflect a shift toward a digitally enabled, performance-driven organization—positioning KOC at the forefront of technological advancement in the regional upstream sector.

ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE AND EFFICIENCY

To enable faster decision-making and sharper strategic focus, KOC implemented a comprehensive organizational transformation aligned with its 2040 Strategy. The new structure enhances integration across critical upstream functions by aligning production planning, drilling, and operational execution under unified leadership streams. This has improved coordination, minimized inefficiencies, and enabled better alignment between short-term production targets and long-term development plans.

The transformation also introduced dedicated capabilities for unlocking growth in remote and high-impact areas, while strengthening KOC’s ability to pursue international partnerships and new business models. Enhanced oversight mechanisms and cross-functional alignment have accelerated project delivery and elevated performance accountability across all levels of the organization.

Additionally, a renewed focus on innovation and digital enablement has positioned KOC to embed advanced technologies—such as AI, data analytics and intelligent automation across its value chain, driving operational efficiency and long-term value creation.               Overall, the transformation marks a shift toward a more agile, integrated and performance-driven organization.

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP

Over the past year, KOC achieved reduction of 16,000 tons of CO₂ emissions by implementing targeted efficiency and flare reduction projects, reaffirming its commitment to sustainability through measurable action and strategic leadership. Simultaneously, large-scale environmental remediation programs and expanded green belt initiatives were implemented to rehabilitate Kuwait’s natural landscape.

Beyond operational efforts, KOC developed its own decarbonization roadmap, aligning with national climate commitments while playing a pivotal role in shaping the energy transition strategy for Kuwait’s oil sector. These integrated actions underscore KOC’s role as a responsible energy leader, actively contributing to the state’s broader environmental and sustainability objectives.

HEALTH, SAFETY & ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE

At Kuwait Oil Company, safety is not just a priority, it is a foundational value embedded across every level of our operations. KOC has strengthened its Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) performance through proactive risk management, rigorous emergency preparedness, and continuous workforce training.

Beyond maintaining a strong safety track record, KOC has achieved measurable environmental milestones. The company successfully reduced flaring levels to an industry-leading 0.51%, reflecting our commitment to emissions efficiency and operational discipline. Spill incidents were minimized through enhanced monitoring and preventive maintenance systems, while targeted environmental programs restored sensitive ecosystems—both onshore and offshore.

KOC also advanced initiatives to rehabilitate desert operational areas, developing green oases that support biodiversity and create more sustainable field environments. Efforts to protect and enhance marine life habitats in coastal zones reaffirm the company’s role as a responsible steward of Kuwait’s natural resources.

These achievements collectively demonstrate KOC’s unwavering dedication to a culture of safety and sustainability, ensuring that our operational excellence is matched by our environmental responsibility.

HUMAN CAPITAL AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT

At the heart of KOC’s long-term resilience lies a steadfast commitment to empowering its national workforce. Recognizing that human capital is a strategic asset, KOC has implemented a comprehensive and forward-looking manpower development strategy that focuses on equipping its people, particularly operational staff, with the capabilities required to thrive in a dynamic energy landscape.

Through a structured portfolio of technical and leadership training, immersive hands-on programs and advanced certification pathways, KOC ensures its employees are not only technically proficient but agile, safety-conscious, and future-ready. Purpose-built facilities that simulate real field conditions enable employees to gain critical experience in a controlled environment, strengthening readiness and performance.

KOC also partners with global academic and industry institutions to deliver specialized knowledge and foster innovation. Educational sponsorships, study leave schemes and international exposure form core pillars of this approach, encouraging continuous learning and professional excellence.

Future leadership is cultivated through dedicated talent acceleration initiatives, including a Fast Track Program that targets high-potential individuals and prepares them for senior roles. These efforts are not only shaping the company’s next generation of leaders but also contributing to the broader national objective of youth empowerment and workforce localization.

By investing in its people, KOC is building a skilled, motivated and capable workforce that underpins the company’s operational success and Kuwait’s energy future.

AHMED JABER AL-EIDAN is Chief Executive Officer of Kuwait Oil Company (KOC). He has dedicated his career to advancing Kuwait’s upstream petroleum sector. Beginning as a wellsite geologist, he rose through exploration and development roles, contributing to the discovery and first national production of gas and light oil from Jurassic reservoirs in North Kuwait. As Exploration Manager, he revolutionized KOC’s approach by shifting from geographic to stratigraphic exploration, driving a wave of discoveries across Kuwait. After serving in senior leadership roles at KOC and KUFPEC, Mr. Al-Eidan became CEO of KOC in 2022, spearheading a company-wide transformation focused on production growth, efficiency, innovation and decarbonization. Under his leadership, KOC has achieved record reserves, production milestones, and organizational reforms, positioning Kuwait as a global leader in sustainable energy development.