Kent secures FEED contract from KJO for Khafji desalter and water treatment plant upgrade

Kent has been awarded the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) contract for the Khafji Desalter and Water Treatment Plant & Related Facilities Upgrade (UDWT) Project by Al-Khafji Joint Operations (KJO), a partnership between Aramco Gulf Operations Co. (AGOC) and Kuwait Gulf Oil Co. (KGOC).

The 15-month project, beginning Oct. 6, 2025, will be led primarily from Kent’s Woking, U.K. offices by a multidisciplinary team of about 150 engineers and specialists. Kent’s Saudi Arabia operation will provide local expertise, site survey support, and in-country project coordination to ensure seamless execution.

The FEED scope includes the design of new desalter units and the upgrade of existing water treatment plants at Al-Khafji. The new desalter facilities will sustain crude production of 300,000 bpd for the next two decades, accommodating water cuts of up to 60% and incorporating advanced separation and desalting technologies. Processing capacity is expected to reach 315,000 bpd while reducing flaring to minimize environmental impact.

On the water treatment side, the upgrade of WTF-2 and expansion of WTF-3 will boost total treatment capacity to more than 500,000 bpd. The modernization effort will improve reliability, increase injection and receiving capabilities, and ensure compliance with environmental standards.

“This award reflects the trust and partnership we’ve built with KJO,” said Usman Darr, Managing Director of U.K. Engineering at Kent. “Our teams will deliver facilities that support KJO’s long-term production goals while advancing environmental performance.”

The project reinforces Kent’s position as a key engineering partner in the Middle East, combining international expertise and local delivery to support sustainable energy infrastructure development across the region.