Environmental restoration in Kuwait

Kuwait

Conor O’Neill, Worley’s operations director in Kuwait, talks to The Energy Year about coordinating Kuwait’s massive soil remediation campaign and leveraging small-scale solutions to achieve large environmental results. Worley is a global professional services company specialising in the chemicals and energy industries.

What is the role of Worley as the Project Management Consulting (PMC) contractor for the Kuwait Environmental Remediation Program (KERP)?
The KERP portfolio involves numerous different projects and, in its role as PMC contractor, Worley manages all the individual contracts with KOC. Initially, our engagement was for five years and had a not-to-exceed value of USD 97 million, but we secured an extension in February 2024 for an additional five years. Execution of standing contracts will continue with the same companies, with Worley retaining most of the existing personnel.
The programme is divided into two geographical locations, North Kuwait and South Kuwait. There are currently eight remediation projects under execution which we are overseeing, and we are planning additional projects involving revegetation, which will create opportunities for new contractors to participate. Our focus is on the remediation of contaminated soil utilising various methods, such as bioremediation and soil washing.
KERP has been going on for almost 12 years, and we hope to leave a lasting legacy of greener, cleaner areas for Kuwait. It is truly rewarding to witness the positive changes made by our team, along with our contractors and KOC, with the comprehensive support of the UN, KNFP [Kuwait National Focal Point] and the State of Kuwait. Rectifying the damage of the oil spills created during the Gulf War and contributing to environmental restoration are undertakings that we’re proud to be part of.

Worley has been involved in the development of heavy oilfields in North Kuwait. How is that project evolving and what advanced techniques are being utilised?
Our involvement in the heavy oilfields of North Kuwait dates back to 2015. We have been leveraging the expertise of our global organisation, which has proved invaluable in all our projects in Kuwait. Heavy oil extraction requires specialised techniques that assist flow, and in this particular case, we are using cyclic steam stimulation. This technique has been utilised with success in the South Ratqa oilfields.
Heavy oil production is limited in the Gulf, so our Canadian office in Calgary provided technical knowledge to inform engineering design and help EPC contractors build the facilities effectively. Expertise by itself will not necessarily give you a better product, however. You also need to incorporate local knowledge and experience from the field to maximise production from assets.
Thus far, our extraction efforts have been successful. The initial intention was to refine the oil domestically, but KOC has identified several overseas refineries interested in purchasing the crude. Demand for heavy oil from international buyers is higher than anticipated, and the product might even sell at a premium.

What are some renewables projects that Worley is currently engaged in?
We are in the process of completing a detailed feasibility study for a 1-GW renewable installation at a KOC facility. The project is strategically important for KOC, as it represents a significant capacity increase from the current 70 MW, but it is also consequential for Worley’s ambitions in the renewables space.
We approached this project from a technology-neutral stance, exploring both wind and solar options. Our evaluation concluded that solar power is the most economically viable solution for most of the sites, with one small site being designated for wind.
The preliminary work has been completed and we made feasibility demonstrations for the MEWRE, providing them with a roadmap towards execution. At this time, Worley is developing the engineering package and a technical specification to frame the project and specify the key requirements for execution, including those indicated by the MEWRE.
We are also developing a comprehensive RFP [request for proposals] package that includes prequalification and bid evaluation criteria that are fully aligned with KOC’s objectives and industry standards to successfully tender and implement the project under an IPP scheme.
The work would not have been possible without the specific technology expertise provided by our Madrid office, which is a recognised centre of excellence for renewable energy.

Based on your feasibility study, what are the main challenges you expect to face in this project?
An overarching challenge is Kuwait’s regulatory framework for IPPs, which needs significant changes for projects like ours to thrive. One of the difficulties inherent in the IPP approach is that it involves some form of hard-dollar contract, and the rapid pace at which technology advances makes it difficult to estimate an adequate rate per kWh.
In our feasibility study, we included a detailed analysis of the regulatory constraints affecting the project that incorporated input from the Kuwait Environment Public Authority. The results have been included in our roadmap for KOC that guides the execution of the project.

Can you point to smaller-scale initiatives Worley has been involved in that have helped reduce the environmental impact of oil and gas operations?
In a recent project, we designed and built a small waste treatment plant for a construction site at one of KOC’s facilities in North Kuwait. Rather than transporting waste over large distances to the treatment centre near Kuwait City, KOC was able to treat waste locally and curb emissions by approximately 10 tonnes of CO2e per month. In addition, the plant also produces treated water that is being used for irrigation and revegetation in the area.
Another example involves generating steam for a heavy oil facility, also in North Kuwait. The original designs called for the construction of a desalination plant on the coast and pumping water to North Kuwait. We took a different approach and repurposed an existing sewage treatment plant to produce treated water to the specifications required for steam generation, thus eliminating the need for the new desalination plant and the corresponding 50-kilometre pipeline. The environmental benefits include reducing the salt returned to the Gulf by 600 tpy and eliminating 21,000 tpy of CO2e emissions.
These are only two examples of the power of lateral thinking and clever engineering. By considering alternative solutions and leveraging existing resources, it is possible to minimise the environmental impact of our ventures and still achieve positive outcomes.

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