Badr Nasser Al-Khashti.

Chairman and CEO of Kuwait Gulf Oil Co. (KGOC) since September 2007, Khashti took over from Abdul-Hadi al-Awwad who was in charge of KGOC from September 2004, then having succeeded Muhammad Ali al-Jazzaf.

KKOC has a wide mandate, overseeing Kuwait's 50% share in the Divided Zone (DZ) - the other 50% being for Saudi Arabia - and the emirate's interests in the DZ's offshore operations which are being handled by the Khafji Joint Operations (KJO). KGOC is also responsible for E&P in all of Kuwait's offshore territories.

Before KGOC took over in January 2003, there was little new investment in the DZ's Kuwaiti sector - while the previous concessionaire, Arabian Oil Co. (AOC) of Japan, wound down its operations. KGOC now is embarked on developing the giant offshore non-associated gas field of Dorra which is partly owned by Saudi Arabia, with Iran claiming another part of this (see gmt23KwtFieldsJun8-09).

Previously, Khashti had headed KPC's overseas E&P arm, KUFPEC which he took over in 2001, having succeeded Arbeed as chairman/CEO of KUFPEC. At that firm, Khashti saw it making good profits thanks to rising oil and gas prices and increased production. In a major policy change, KUFPEC in 2005 shifted its focus away from greenfield exploration and has since been looking for producing assets (see omt25KwtTrE&PJun22-09).