Kuwait is preparing to move forward with a major midstream expansion as it opens a $7-billion pipeline project to foreign capital, part of a broader push to fund critical oil infrastructure outside the state budget.
State-owned Kuwait Oil Company is readying a pipeline deal valued at roughly $7 billion that would involve international partners, according to Reuters. The project is part of a broader effort by Kuwait to upgrade transport capacity linking upstream production to export and processing hubs, while easing the financial burden on the state.
The move marks a notable change for Kuwait, which has traditionally relied on public funding for oil infrastructure. Reuters reported that the pipeline project is expected to be structured in a way that allows foreign investors to participate, as Kuwait looks to accelerate energy investment without sharply increasing state spending.
The pipeline plan fits into Kuwait’s wider upstream strategy. Kuwait intends to invest around $4 billion in oil exploration by 2030, targeting new reserves and improved recovery rates as it seeks to lift sustainable capacity. The country is aiming to raise crude production capacity toward 4 million barrels per day later this decade, even as regional peers compete for capital and market share.
Kuwait is also positioning itself to benefit from the Middle East’s next wave of large oil discoveries. Much of the region’s remaining low-cost resource potential lies in conventional onshore and shallow offshore fields, including areas where Kuwait already has established infrastructure. Expanding pipeline capacity is seen as essential to monetizing those resources and avoiding bottlenecks as production rises.
According to Reuters, details on ownership structure, returns, and timing have not yet been disclosed, and no final investment decision has been announced. Kuwaiti officials have indicated, however, that attracting foreign capital is becoming increasingly important as national oil companies balance ambitious expansion plans with budget constraints.
The pipeline project would be one of Kuwait’s largest energy infrastructure initiatives in recent years and reflects a broader Gulf trend toward tapping external financing to sustain long-term oil output growth.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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