Aramco Adds Significant Volumes to Proven Gas, Condensate Reserves at Jafurah Field

Aramco Adds Significant Volumes to Proven Gas, Condensate Reserves at Jafurah Field
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Aramco Adds Significant Volumes to Proven Gas, Condensate Reserves at Jafurah Field

Aramco Adds Significant Volumes to Proven Gas, Condensate Reserves at Jafurah Field

Saudi Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, has added significant volumes to the proven gas and condensate reserves at the Jafurah unconventional field in Saudi Arabia.

The Company has booked 15 trillion standard cubic feet (scf) of raw gas and two billion stock tank barrels (STB) of condensate as proven reserves at Jafurah. It is now estimated that Jafurah contains a total of 229 trillion scf of raw gas, alongside an estimated 75 billion STB of condensate.

These new estimates were calculated using a novel approach to shale reserve booking, which was applied to unconventional resources for the first time in the industry and has the potential to be deployed at a larger scale.

Reserve booking practices were assessed through establishing continuity of resources and consistency of performance. These new estimates were technically validated by respected industry reserves certification consultancy DeGolyer and MacNaughton, which reviewed the statistical booking mechanism and provided a fully independent assessment.

Aramco President and CEO Amin H. Nasser said: “This achievement enhances the Kingdom’s hydrocarbon wealth through proven gas reserves, which are a vital resource for the energy and chemicals industries.”

“Aramco’s upstream business is deploying state-of-the-art technologies including advanced modeling and artificial intelligence to make tangible progress in developing Jafurah, which is one of the company’s growth catalysts and an important economic empowerment for the Kingdom. The field represents a key element in our ambitious strategy to increase Aramco’s gas production,” he stressed.

Work is currently underway to deliver production at Jafurah, with plans to ramp up to reach a sustainable sales gas rate of two billion scf by 2030, in addition to significant volumes of ethane, Natural Gas Liquids (NGL), and condensate.



Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
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Saudi Non-Oil Exports Hit Two-Year High

The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)
The King Abdulaziz Port in Dammam, eastern Saudi Arabia. (“Mawani” port authority)

Saudi Arabia’s non-oil exports soared to a two-year high in May, reaching SAR 28.89 billion (USD 7.70 billion), marking an 8.2% year-on-year increase compared to May 2023.

On a monthly basis, non-oil exports surged by 26.93% from April.

This growth contributed to Saudi Arabia’s trade surplus, which recorded a year-on-year increase of 12.8%, reaching SAR 34.5 billion (USD 9.1 billion) in May, following 18 months of decline.

The enhancement of the non-oil private sector remains a key focus for Saudi Arabia as it continues its efforts to diversify its economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.

In 2023, non-oil activities in Saudi Arabia contributed 50% to the country’s real GDP, the highest level ever recorded, according to the Ministry of Economy and Planning’s analysis of data from the General Authority for Statistics.

Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan emphasized at the “Future Investment Initiative” in October that the Kingdom is now prioritizing the development of the non-oil sector over GDP figures, in line with its Vision 2030 economic diversification plan.

A report by Moody’s highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive efforts to transform its economic structure, reduce dependency on oil, and boost non-oil sectors such as industry, tourism, and real estate.

The Saudi General Authority for Statistics’ monthly report on international trade noted a 5.8% growth in merchandise exports in May compared to the same period last year, driven by a 4.9% increase in oil exports, which totaled SAR 75.9 billion in May 2024.

The change reflects movements in global oil prices, while production levels remained steady at under 9 million barrels per day since the OPEC+ alliance began a voluntary reduction in crude supply to maintain prices. Production is set to gradually increase starting in early October.

On a monthly basis, merchandise exports rose by 3.3% from April to May, supported by a 26.9% increase in non-oil exports. This rise was bolstered by a surge in re-exports, which reached SAR 10.2 billion, the highest level for this category since 2017.

The share of oil exports in total exports declined to 72.4% in May from 73% in the same month last year.

Moreover, the value of re-exported goods increased by 33.9% during the same period.