Oil and Gas Fields Discovered in Saudi Arabia since 2001

The Oil and Gas Fields Discovered in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 2001 are the fields that Saudi Aramco, under its concession rights, has discovered in the Kingdom since the beginning of the third millennium (2001). According to Aramco's 2023 annual report, the company's portfolio includes 541 reservoirs in 144 fields across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its territorial waters.

As of December 31, 2023, the Kingdom's reserves in the fields managed by Aramco reached 340.8 billion bbl of oil equivalent. This includes 261.7 billion bbl of crude oil and condensates, 37.4 billion bbl of natural gas liquids, and 252.6 trillion standard ft of natural gas, of which 164.8 trillion standard ft are non-associated gas.

Under the original concession agreement between the government of the Kingdom and Saudi Aramco, which remained in effect until December 24, 2017, Saudi Aramco's rights concerning hydrocarbons in the Kingdom were not limited by a specific duration. Therefore, the Kingdom's reserves in the fields managed by Saudi Aramco were the same as Saudi Aramco's reserves. However, as of December 24, 2017, the concession agreement granted Saudi Aramco the exclusive right to explore, develop, and produce hydrocarbon resources in the Kingdom, except for those in excluded areas, for an initial term of forty years. This term can be renewed by the government of the Kingdom for an additional twenty years, provided that Saudi Aramco meets specific conditions. The concession agreement can also be extended for an additional forty years after the initial sixty-year term, subject to an agreement between Saudi Aramco and the Saudi government on the terms and conditions of such an extension. The specification of the concession agreement's duration affects the calculation of Saudi Aramco's reserves compared to the Kingdom's reserves in the fields managed by the company. Additionally, Saudi Aramco is obligated under the concession agreement to meet domestic demand for a specific set of hydrocarbon materials, petroleum products, and liquefied petroleum gas through local production or importation. According to the initial forty-year concession period and its twenty-year extension, Saudi Aramco's reserves amounted to 251.2 billion bbl of oil equivalent as of December 31, 2023 Saudi Aramco's oil equivalent reserves include 191.3 billion bbl of crude oil and condensates, 26.0 billion bbl of natural gas liquids, and 207.5 trillion standard ft of natural gas.

Saudi Aramco continues its exploration and production activities on an ongoing basis, with discoveries announced in its annual reports. In April 2006, a new gas field was discovered in the Kingdom's territorial waters in the Arabian Gulf. The 'Karan-6' well, located 160 km north of Dhahran, was tested and produced gas at a rate of forty million standard ft per day.

In 2006, there were several discoveries. The company discovered a new gas field in the Eastern Province. During the testing of the 'Zumlah-1' well, located fifty km south of the Ghawar Field and 250 km southeast of Riyadh City, gas flowed at a rate of twenty million standard ft per day, accompanied by 1,400 bbl per day of condensates.

In the same year, the company also discovered a gas field south of the Ghawar Field in the Eastern Province. In November 2006, gas flowed from the 'Nujayman-1' well, located thirty km south of the Ghawar Field and 280 km southeast of Riyadh City, at a rate of thirty million standard ft per day. The assessments resulting from the well testing showed that the well's permanent production capacity may exceed sixty million standard ft per day.

In 2009, Saudi Aramco discovered five crude oil fields, including four onshore and one in the submerged area in the Eastern Province. These are: 'Jaouf-11' field, located three hundred km northwest of Dhahran City. Oil flowed from a depth of 8,025 ft at a rate of 2,551 standard bbl per day, accompanied by 1.2 million standard ft of gas per day. Additionally, oil flowed from the Marrat reservoir at a depth of 1,715 ft at a rate of 1,620 standard bbl per day, accompanied by 0.87 million standard ft of gas per day.

The discoveries also included the 'Rumthan-9' well, located four hundred km northwest of Dhahran City. Oil flowed from the well on the northern edge of the Rumthan field at a rate of 462 standard bbl per day. Additionally, the 'Nayashin-1' well, situated sixty km northwest of the Rumthan field and 450 km northwest of Dhahran City, flowed oil at a rate of 2,076 standard bbl per day.

The discoveries of that year also included the 'Jareed-101' well in the Arabian Gulf, approximately 130 km north of Dhahran City. Three oil reservoirs were tested in the well: oil flowed from the Heet reservoir at a rate of 450 standard bbl per day, from the Shaybah reservoir at a rate of 1,133 standard bbl per day, and from the Upper Khafji reservoir at a rate of 115 standard bbl per day from the same well.

The fifth discovered well is the 'Khursaniyah-114' well, located approximately 138 km northwest of Dhahran City. With this discovery, the Safaniyah layer was added as a new oil reservoir for the first time in this field, with oil flowing at a rate of 480 standard bbl per day.

Following the same pattern of oil discoveries, three gas fields were discovered in the submerged areas of the Kingdom in the Arabian Gulf. These include Well 'Arabiya-1', located 185 km northeast of Dhahran city, with gas flowing at a rate of 41.1 million standard ft per day, alongside Well 'Rabib-1', situated 125 km northeast of Dhahran city, where gas flows at a rate of 40.6 million standard ft per day. As for Well 'Hisbah-16', located approximately two hundred km northeast of Dhahran city, gas flowed from it at a rate of 62.1 million standard ft per day.

Saudi Aramco discovered, as part of its exploration and production operations in 2010, new quantities of gas in al-Jalamid in the Northern Border Province. The field is located ninety-five km east of Turayf City. Al-Sannara reservoir was tested in the 'Jalamid 3' well, where gas flowed at a rate of 12.1 million standard ft per day.

As exploration and production operations continued, Saudi Aramco managed in 2012 to discover a new gas field in the northern submerged area of the Red Sea, twenty-six km northwest of Duba port. Gas flowed at a rate of ten million standard ft per day when testing al-Wajh reservoir in the Sha'ur well. Gas also flowed at a rate of 5.2 million standard ft per day in another test at a depth of 17,275 ft.

Saudi Aramco developed its exploration and production capabilities and continued its exploration program to announce in 2014 the discovery of eight new fields, which is the largest number of fields discovered by the company during one year in its history. These fields consist of five gas fields: Abu Ali, Faras, Amjad, al-Badi, and Faris fields; and two oil fields: al-Saadawi and al-Naqa fields, in addition to an oil and gas field named al-Qadqad field.

In 2015, Saudi Aramco discovered five new oil and gas fields, bringing the total number of oil and gas fields discovered in the Kingdom to 134. Three oil fields were discovered: the offshore Faskar field in the Arabian Gulf near the Berri field, the Janab field located east of the Ghawar field, and the Maqam field located in the eastern ar-Rub' al-Khali. Two non-associated gas fields were also discovered: the Edmee field located west of Haradh, and the Murooj field in ar-Rub' al-Khali.

In February 2020, the company received approvals from regulatory entities to develop the unconventional Jafurah gas field in the Eastern Province, which is considered the largest unconventional gas field in the Kingdom with resources estimated at more than two hundred trillion ft.

In February 2024, Saudi Aramco managed to add large quantities to the proven reserves of gas and condensates in the unconventional Jafurah field. The additional proven quantities reached fifteen trillion standard ft of gas and two billion bbl of condensates. This achievement was realized as a result of applying high global standards in estimating and developing hydrocarbon resources to ensure their proper exploitation. The resource quantities in the Jafurah field are now estimated at about 229 trillion standard ft of gas and seventy-five billion bbl of condensates. These resource and proven reserve estimates for the Jafurah field were certified by a major independent consulting company specialized in the field of resource and proven reserve certification.

Saudi Aramco continued its discoveries to announce in August 2020, the discovery of two new oil and gas fields in the northern parts of the Kingdom. Condensate-rich gas flowed from the Sara reservoir in the Hadabat al-Hajara field, east of Sikaka city, at a rate of sixteen million standard ft per day, accompanied by about 1,944 bbl of condensates.

The second field discovered that year was the Abraq at-Tulul field in the southeast of Arar city, where unconventional Arab Extra Light oil flowed from the Sharurah reservoir at a rate of 3,189 bbl per day, accompanied by about 1.1 million ft of gas per day. Gas also flowed from the Qawwarah reservoir in the same field at a rate of 2.4 million standard ft per day, accompanied by forty-nine bbl per day of condensates.

As exploration and production work continued, four new oil and gas discoveries were announced in December 2020. These included the discovery of unconventional oil in al-Reesh field, northwest of Dhahran city. Arabian Extra Light oil flowed from al-Reesh well No. Two at a rate of 4,452 bbl per day, accompanied by 3.2 million standard ft of gas daily. With the drilling of al-Reesh wells No. Three and No. Four, initial production from al-Reesh well No. Three reached 2,745 bbl per day, accompanied by three million standard ft of gas per day. The flow rate of Arab Extra Light oil from al-Reesh well No. Four reached 3,654 bbl per day, with 1.6 million standard ft of gas per day.

Regarding gas, unconventional gas was discovered in the Sara reservoir in al-Minahhaz well, southwest of the Ghawar field, and in al-Sahbaa well south of the same field. Gas flowed from al-Minahhaz well at a rate of eighteen million standard ft per day, with ninety-eight bbl of condensates daily, while gas flowed from al-Sahbaa well at a rate of thirty-two million standard ft per day.

The discoveries included other locations, as oil was discovered in al-Ajramiyah well No. One, northwest of Rafha city in the Northern Border Province, where oil flowed at a rate of 3,850 bbl per day. This was in addition to a new oil field east of ad-Dilam in the 'Dammam-8' well, southwest of al-Kharj city.

Saudi Aramco announced, in February 2022, the discovery of several natural gas fields in the central region, ar-Rub' al-Khali area, the Northern Border Province, and the Eastern Province. The discoveries included the 'Shadoon' natural gas field in the central region, located 180 km southeast of Riyadh City, after gas flowed from the 'Shadoon-1' well at a rate of twenty-seven million standard ft per day, along with 3,300 bbl of condensates. The discovery of the 'Shehab' natural gas field in ar-Rub' al-Khali area, located seventy km southwest of the Shaybah field, occurred after gas flowed from the 'Shehab-1' well at a rate of thirty-one million standard ft per day. 'Al-Shorfa' natural gas field was also discovered in ar-Rub' al-Khali area, located 120 km southwest of the Shaybah field, with gas flowing from 'al-Shorfa 2' well at a rate of 16.9 million standard ft per day, along with fifty bbl of condensates. The 'Umm Khansar' unconventional natural gas field was also discovered in the Northern Borders Province, located seventy-one km southeast of the city of Ar'ar. Gas flowed from the 'Umm Khansar-1' well at a rate of two million standard ft per day, along with 295 bbl of condensates. The 'Samna' unconventional natural gas field was also discovered in the Eastern Province, south of the Ghawar Field, located 211 km southwest of Dhahran City. Gas flowed from the 'Samna-2' well at a rate of 5.8 million standard ft per day, along with twenty-four bbl of condensates. Additionally, gas flowed from the 'Samna-104001' well at a rate of 11.6 million standard ft per day, along with 169 bbl of condensates, and from the 'Samna-6' well at a rate of 9.25 million standard ft per day.

In November 2022, Saudi Aramco announced the discovery of two unconventional natural gas fields in the Eastern Province. The 'Awtad' unconventional natural gas field was discovered southwest of the Ghawar Field, located 142 km southwest of al-Hufuf city, with gas flowing from the 'Awtad-108001' well at a rate of ten million standard ft per day, along with 740 bbl of condensates. Additionally, gas flowed from the 'Awtad-100921' well at a rate of 16.9 million standard ft per day, along with 165 bbl of condensates. Additionally, 'ad-Dahna' unconventional natural gas field was discovered, located 230 km southwest of Dhahran City. Gas flowed from the 'ad-Dahna-4' well at a rate of 8.1 million standard ft per day, and from 'ad-Dahna-370100' well at a rate of 17.5 million standard ft per day, along with 362 bbl of condensates.

In November 2023, Saudi Aramco announced the discovery of two natural gas fields in tar-Rub' al-Khali. 'Al-Hiran' natural gas field was discovered, with gas flowing from the Hanifa reservoir in the 'al-Hiran-1' well at a rate of thirty million standard ft per day, along with 1,600 bbl of condensates. Additionally, gas flowed from the Arab-C reservoir in the same field at a rate of 3.1 million standard ft per day. 'Al-Mahakik' natural gas field was also discovered, with gas flowing from 'al-Mahakik-2' well at a rate of 0.85 million standard ft per day. Additionally, natural gas was discovered in five reservoirs in previously discovered fields. This includes 'al-Jalla' reservoir in the 'Asikra' field in ar-Rub' al-Khali, where gas flowed at a rate of forty-six million standard ft per day. An additional natural gas reservoir was discovered in the 'Shadoon' field west of Haradh Center, where natural gas was discovered in the 'Unayzah-A' reservoir with gas flowing at a rate of 15.5 million standard ft per day, accompanied by approximately 460 bbl of condensates. The 'Unayzah B/C' reservoir in the 'Mazalij' field southwest of Dhahran, where gas flowed at a rate of fourteen million standard ft per day, accompanied by 4,150 bbl of condensates per day In 'al-Sara' reservoir in al-Wudhaihi field and 'al-Qusaiba' reservoir in the Utad field southwest of al-Hufuf city, where natural gas flowed from 'al-Sara' reservoir at a rate of 11.7 million standard ft per day, and from 'al-Qusaiba' reservoir at a rate of 5.1 million standard ft per day, accompanied by approximately fifty-seven bbl of condensates per day.

On July 1, 2024, Saudi Aramco announced the discovery of two unconventional oil fields, an Arabian Light oil reservoir, two natural gas, and two natural gas reservoirs. Al-Ladam field has been discovered as a source of unconventional oil in the Eastern Province, with the Ladam-2 well yielding a flow of very light Arabian oil at a rate of 5,100 bbl per day, accompanied by 4.9 million standard ft per day of natural gas. Similarly, the discovery of al–Farouq unconventional oil field was confirmed in the Eastern Province after the Arabian very light oil flowed from al-Farouq-4 well at a rate of 4,557 bbl per day, accompanied by about 3.79 million standard ft per day of gas. Further discoveries in the Eastern Province include the Unayzah B/C reservoir in the Mazaleej field, after Arab light oil flowed from the Mazaleej-62 well at a rate of 1,780 bbl per day, accompanied by about 0.7 million standard ft per day of gas.

In terms of natural gas discoveries, al-Jahaq field in ar-Rub' al-Khali (Empty Quarter) was discovered with natural gas flowing from al-Arab-C reservoir in al-Jahaq-1 well at 5.3 million standard ft per day, and from al-Arab-D reservoir at 1.1 million standard ft per day. Al-Katuf field was also discovered in ar-Rub' al-Khali (Empty Quarter), where al-Katuf-1 well produced 7.6 million standard ft of gas per day, plus forty bbl per day of condensates. Additionally, the Hanifa reservoir was found in the Asikra field in ar-Rub' al-Khali (Empty Quarter), with the Asikra-6 well yielding 4.9 million standard ft of gas per day from the Hanifa reservoir and 0.6 million standard ft per day from al-Fadhili reservoir, along with one hundred bbl per day of condensates.