Globally tested tools for cost-effective production

Kuwait

Mohamed Helal, Kuwait managing director for SLB, talks to The Energy Year about the role of SLB technology in advancing Kuwait’s production and sustainability goals and fostering innovation at the newly established Ahmadi Innovation Valley. SLB is a global technology company that provides products and services for oil and gas production.

What have been SLB’s key project achievements in Kuwait over the past year?
Over the past year, SLB has reinforced its role in Kuwait’s energy industry with advanced technologies, operational excellence and strong local partnerships. The 141-well integrated drilling services contract in South and East Kuwait marked a milestone in delivering cost-effective wells to help KOC meet production targets.
In digital, a major highlight was a five-year KOC contract for the Kuwait Integrated Digital Field (KwIDF) project, to create a unified infrastructure across planning and operational phases through automation and advanced workflows. SLB’s Delfi™ digital platform plays a central role in the KwIDF, integrating real-time data from reservoirs and production systems to enhance decision-making, reduce downtime and improve safety.
In well construction, SLB deployed its Neuro™ autonomous solutions in North Kuwait, enhancing drilling precision, reducing non-productive time and improving ROP [rate of penetration] by more than 60%. For reservoir evaluation, SLB used the Ora™ intelligent wireline formation testing platform for deep transient testing to define reservoir boundaries and collect fluid samples in the North Wafra field.
In production, a KOC-SLB collaboration transformed the Mauddud reservoir in Greater Burgan using intelligent stimulation and a drill-to-stimulate approach. It resulted in record production of 1,600 bopd from underperforming wells and a new benchmark for previously untapped formations.
SLB also advanced local content through its Dar SLB centre, providing training, digital enablement and technical support aligned with Kuwait’s ICV [in-country value] goals. The company collaborates with academic institutions and operates a digital lab at Kuwait University. Over the past 10 years, 95% of SLB’s hires in Kuwait have been Kuwaiti nationals, with 43% of them being women.

What technologies are you deploying to support Kuwait’s new offshore developments?
Following Kuwait’s exciting offshore discoveries of Al Nokhatha and Al Julaia, SLB is enabling this offshore pivot with cutting-edge technologies and deep offshore expertise. In geosteering, SLB’s real-time mapping tools – PeriScope Edge™ and GeoSphere HD™ – enable precise well placement in complex formations.
On the subsea front, we can offer flexible solutions through SLB OneSubsea, tailored to Kuwait’s needs. What sets SLB apart is its use of remote technologies to make offshore operations smarter and safer. With the Delfi™ platform, teams can monitor and manage operations from shore, reducing offshore headcount and improving response times.
Crucially, SLB embeds global solutions locally. Through the Dar SLB centre, it trains local talent, fosters innovation, and deepens long-term partnerships with KOC and KGOC [Kuwait Gulf Oil Company], ensuring offshore ambitions are matched with regional capability.

How is SLB supporting the development of Kuwait’s more technically challenging fields?
SLB plays a key role in unlocking Kuwait’s HPHT [high-pressure, high-temperature] and sour gas developments, notably in Mutriba and Jurassic and Lower Fars fields. Over the years, SLB has supported KOC with advanced well construction, reservoir evaluation and production technologies for extreme conditions. The PowerDrive Orbit™ precise and versatile rotary steerable system, Geosphere 360™ 3D reservoir mapping-while-drilling service for precise well placement, Neuro autonomous solutions for improved drilling efficiency and Ora™ intelligent wireline formation testing have been instrumental in safely drilling and completing complex wells.
For the Lower Fars heavy oilfields, SLB developed a conceptual plan and screened technologies to address the ultra-shallow reservoir’s complexities, while in Mutraba – a tight, ultra-sour formation discovered 15 years ago – we deployed Production ExPRESS™ rapid production response solutions, a modular 10,000-bopd facility to enable long-term productivity. It also brings fit-for-purpose fracturing, real-time reservoir monitoring and digital field planning to unlock the field’s full value. With its technology portfolio, SLB is ready to help transform Mutraba from a dormant discovery into a productive asset for Kuwait’s energy future.
In March 2025, SLB launched Retina™ at-bit imaging system, the world’s first at-bit imaging tool for 3D formation visualisation while drilling. The system uses sensors embedded in PDC [polycrystalline diamond compact] bits to capture force measurements and generate high-resolution images of formation layers, dips and fractures without the need for extra logging runs. It is compatible with all hole sizes, bottomhole assemblies and mud types for onshore and offshore fields.

What steps are you taking to prepare for Kuwait’s rig count increase and rising demand for integrated well services?
With Kuwait set to raise its rig count from 172 to 212 by end-2025, SLB is scaling operations with a focus on infrastructure, talent and digitalisation. We are expanding our footprint in North Kuwait and West Kuwait and upgrading Ahmadi workshops with advanced diagnostics and automation.

How is SLB aligning its operations with Kuwait’s upstream decarbonisation goals?
SLB is aligned with KPC’s net-zero target for 2050 through emissions-reducing technologies and CCUS collaborations, such as exploring carbon reuse for EOR with KOC. Beyond CCUS, our new energy teams are active in hydrogen, geothermal, critical minerals and energy storage to help advance Kuwait’s upstream sustainability.

What is the value of the Ahmadi Innovation Valley (AIV) for SLB?
SLB is a founding member of the Ahmadi Innovation Valley (AIV), a national initiative to make Kuwait a hub for upstream innovation. For SLB, AIV will be a means to accelerate technology adoption and enable closer collaboration with KOC and industry partners.
By co-locating with research institutions, SLB can co-develop solutions for Kuwait’s reservoir challenges and energy transition needs. AIV also strengthens in-country value creation by supporting talent development, knowledge transfer and domestic innovation.

How would you characterise SLB’s relationship with KPC today?
We are deeply honoured by KPC’s recognition of SLB as a key partner among its service providers. This acknowledgement reflects the strength of our long-standing relationship, which is built on mutual trust, operational excellence and a shared commitment to innovation and national development.
Our partnership with KPC is rooted in a deep understanding of Kuwait’s upstream challenges and ambitions. Over the years, SLB has consistently delivered high-impact solutions that have enhanced reservoir recovery, optimised production and supported KPC’s strategic objectives in energy security, sustainability and value creation.
This relationship continues to thrive through SLB’s sustained technology leadership in digitalisation, AI and low-carbon solutions, as well as our operational excellence backed by global best practices and local execution. Looking ahead, we see ourselves not just as a service provider to KPC but as a partner in shaping the future of Kuwait’s energy industry.

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