Basra movement: Kuwait gas project could affect maritime claims
Shafaq News- Basra
Kuwait’s reported $3.3 billion gas-processing project near the Al-Zour refinery could advance development of Tuwaynah gas field before regional maritime claims are resolved, Basra’s Popular Movement against the Khor Abdullah Agreement said on Monday.
At a press conference, Movement members pointed to a Kuwaiti tender for a facility capable of processing about 632 million cubic feet of gas per day, warning that development could create an economic reality around the field while legal and geopolitical disputes remain unsettled.
The Movement urged Baghdad to safeguard Iraq’s maritime claims and natural resources through diplomatic and legal channels, criticizing “a fragmented response to disputes with neighboring states.” It also sought clarification from the Oil and Foreign ministries on projects that could overlap with areas claimed by Iraq.
Read more: Khor Abdullah: A waterway entangled in sovereignty disputes
It proposed forming a national team of diplomatic, maritime, legal, and technical experts to examine boundaries and resources, document Iraq’s claims, and engage international bodies where necessary, while avoiding “uncalculated escalation.”
The concerns also extend to Baghdad’s submission of maritime coordinates and a map to the United Nations, which drew objections from Gulf states. Iraqi authorities maintain that the filing is grounded in domestic legislation, international law, and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Khor Abdullah and Tuwaynah Disputes
Iraq and Kuwait signed the Khor Abdullah agreement in 2012 to regulate navigation and security in the shared waterway, Iraq’s only maritime access to the Gulf and a route linking key ports including Umm Qasr and Grand Al-Faw, with international shipping lanes. Based on United Nations Security Council Resolution 833 (1993), which defined post-Gulf War borders, the agreement remains controversial in Iraq, particularly after the Federal Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that its ratification was unconstitutional, reigniting debate over sovereignty, economic interests, and maritime rights.
The offshore Dorra gas field, known in Iraq as Tuwaynah, is subject to competing regional claims. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia agreed in 2022 to jointly develop it, while Iran claims rights to part of the field. Iraqi lawmakers have also questioned the country’s maritime boundaries and potential rights in the area.
Read more: Iraq’s UN maritime move reopens Arab fault lines over Khor Abdullah
