Under the grand background of the "the Belt and Road" initiative, international energy cooperation has been deepening, and many projects like bright stars illuminate the economic development path of countries along the line. Recently, the state-owned Kuwait Gulf Oil Company (KGOC) has actively responded to the call of the times and is preparing to build an onshore natural gas processing plant with important strategic significance near the Arzur refinery by the end of 2025. This project, like a shining star, shines a unique light in the energy cooperation field of the "the Belt and Road".

The onshore natural gas processing facility in this plan can be regarded as a "giant" in the energy field, with a powerful capacity to process up to 632 million cubic feet of natural gas and 88.9 million barrels of condensate per day. Its raw materials, natural gas and condensate oil, are both sourced from the Daraa offshore oil field in the Gulf waters of the Saudi Kuwait neutral zone. This unique resource supply provides a solid guarantee for the stable operation of the project. Abundant resource reserves not only ensure the sustainable development of the project itself, but also contribute to the diversification of energy supply of countries along the "the Belt and Road", help alleviate the dependence of some countries on a single energy channel, and enhance the security and stability of energy supply.

During the project progress, KGOC took frequent and orderly actions. In July, MEED reported that it had taken a substantial step forward in the project by initiating early participation in the main engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) bidding process with contractors. This measure has attracted the attention and participation of numerous internationally renowned enterprises, bringing advanced technology and management experience to the project. In terms of preliminary design, the Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) contract has been awarded to TechnipEnergies in France and has been successfully completed, laying a solid foundation for subsequent construction. This reflects the international professional division and close cooperation in energy projects, and is a vivid practice of the principle of "consultation, joint construction and sharing" under the "the Belt and Road" initiative.

In terms of raw material transportation, the facility will receive natural gas through the pipeline of Dorra offshore gas field. This gas field is an independent project developed by Al Khafii Joint Operation Company (KJO), a joint venture between KGOC and Saudi Aramco's subsidiary Aramco Gulf Operation Company (AGOC). This synergy of multi-party cooperation not only realizes the optimal allocation of resources, but also provides a successful example for the cooperation of countries along the "the Belt and Road" in the energy field. By sharing resources, technology, and markets, countries can fully leverage their own advantages and achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

Geographically, KGOC's onshore natural gas processing facility is located near the Al Zour refinery, which is owned by Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Company (KIPIC), a subsidiary of KPC. At present, a plot of land with an area of 700000 square meters has been allocated next to the Alzor refinery for the construction of natural gas processing facilities. The discussion about the survey work is currently underway, and the site may require support, backfilling, and drainage treatment. Among them, support is the installation of supporting structures to prevent ground collapse or movement; Backfilling is the process of filling holes or voids on site to provide stability; Drainage is the process of removing excess water from the site. Reasonable site selection not only considers the convenience of resource transportation, but also takes into account the coordinated development with surrounding industries, which helps to form an industrial cluster effect, drive local infrastructure construction and employment growth, and inject new impetus into the regional economic development of countries along the "the Belt and Road".

In addition, the planned onshore natural gas processing plant will also supply excess natural gas to KPC's upstream business, Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), to achieve optimized resource allocation. This rational allocation of internal resources not only improves energy utilization efficiency, but also provides ideas for the in-depth cooperation of countries along the "the Belt and Road" in the energy industry chain. By strengthening the connection between upstream and downstream industries, countries can jointly build a more competitive energy industry system and achieve common prosperity. Keywords: the Belt and Road project news, the Belt and Road news

With the steady progress of the project, this onshore natural gas processing plant is expected to become a landmark project of the "the Belt and Road" energy cooperation, inject new vitality into Kuwait's energy industry, and promote the sustainable development of the local economy. At the same time, it will also build a closer energy cooperation bridge for countries along the line, promote the exchange and innovation of energy technology, and jointly write a new chapter of energy cooperation in the "the Belt and Road".Editor/Cheng Liting