State-owned upstream operator Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) has reduced the number of approved contractors for onshore drilling and shallow-well maintenance from 51 to 24.

Contractors that are no longer qualified include major contractors such as Italy’s Saipem, Oklahoma-based Helmerich & Payne, and Houston-based Patterson-UTI Energy.

The latest list still includes a wide range of  Kuwaiti, regional and international companies according to the latest update of the list on its electronic system, which was published on 21 September 2026.

The full list of contractors that are now qualified to participate in tenders is:

• Burgan Company for Well Drilling, Trading & Maintenance (Kuwait)
• Kuwait Drilling Company (Kuwait)
• Sun Drilling Kuwait (Kuwait)
• TDL Kuwait for Oil Rigs & Natural Gas Extraction Activities, Services and Facilities (Kuwait)
• United Precision Drilling (Kuwait)
• Abraj Energy Services (Oman)
• Adnoc Drilling Company (UAE)
• Arabian Drilling Company (Saudi Arabia)
• Anton Oilfield Services (China)
• China Oilfield Services Limited (China)
• Egyptian Drilling Company (Egypt)
• CNPC Bohai Drilling Engineering Company Limited (China)
• Great Wall Drilling Company (China)
• John Energy Limited (India)
• Kerui Oilfield Service (China)
• KCA Deutag Drilling (Germany)
• Mohammed Al-Barwani Petroleum Services (Oman)
• Nabors Drilling International (US)
• National Drilling & Services Company (Oman)
• Sea & Land Drilling Contractors (Oman)
• Sinopec International Petroleum Service Corporation (China)
• Karamay Jianye Energy (China)
• Modern Drilling Company (Egypt)
• Grey Wolf Drilling International (US)

An earlier list, which was published on 11 February, included 51 qualified companies.

The reduction in the number of qualified drilling contractors comes after KOC issued a notice on 27 April this year informing the existing qualified contractors that they would need to reapply.