MEOG: Aramco makes gas discoveries

Saudi Arabia’s energy minister has announced the discovery of two new gas fields in the Rub’ Al Khali (Empty Quarter), the vast desert that covers most of the kingdom’s eastern province.

Quoted in the Saudi Gazette, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud said majority state-owned Saudi Aramco has discovered the Al-Hiran and Al-Mahakeek gas fields, while also finding gas in five reservoirs across two existing Empty Quarter fields, including Asikra and Shadun. Gas discoveries were also made at fields near Dammam and Hofuf.

Prince Abdulaziz said that Al-Hiran flowed at a rate of 30mn cubic feet (850,000 cubic metres) per day of gas and 1,600 barrels per day (bpd) of condensate from the Al Hiran-1 well in the Hanifa reservoir, and at 3.1 mmcf (88,000 cubic metres) per day in the Al Arab-C reservoir.

Meanwhile, gas from Al-Mahakeek flowed from the Al Mahakeek-2 well at 0.85 mmcf (25,000 cubic metres) per day.

At Asikra, gas flowed at 46 mmcf (1.3 mcm) per day, while a discovery in the Shadun field, west of Markaz Haradh, flowed at 15.5 mmcf (439,000 cubic metres) per day of gas and 460 bpd of condensate from the Unayzah-A reservoir.