The Kuwaiti Ministry of Oil announced on Sunday 5 April 2020 that it had exported the first shipment of oil from the Khafji field outside the country, through joint operations in the neutral zone with Saudi Arabia. The ministry added that the shipment was loaded through the Kuwaiti airline “Dar Salwa”, according to Middle East Monitor.
On Friday, 3 April 2020, Kuwaiti Oil Minister Khalid Ali Al-Fadil said that “Dar Salwa” company’s planes will fly to the countries of Asia with about a million barrels of crude oil.
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait began the Experimental phase of production from the oil fields that they jointly manage during February 2020, after agreeing last year 2019 to cover a five-year conflict over the neutral zone, which pumps 0.5% of global crude supplies.
More than five years ago, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait suspended oil production from the Khafji and Wafra fields, which reduced global oil supplies by about 500,000 barrels per day. Currently, the Wafra field is operated by the Kuwait Oil Company on behalf Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, and Chevron on behalf of Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi Aramco and the Kuwait Oil Company manage the Khafji field.