Middle East: Saudis lead the charge
The kingdom should emerge as the region's first major shale gas producer. But not quickly
Saudi Arabia is seeking to tap a significant unconventional gas potential, estimated by US oilfield services firm Baker Hughes at 645 trillion cubic feet (cf), or more than double its conventional reserves of 284.8 trillion cf. But the kingdom's energy strategists are making slow progress in realising this potential. The big service players have all made a beeline for the kingdom. In 2010, Schlumberger, Halliburton and Baker Hughes were invited by the Saudis to share their shale gas expertise and all three have subsequently established research centres in the kingdom, attempting to match their technology to the specifics of Saudi geology. State oil company Saudi Aramco worked with Hallib
Also in this section
6 March 2026
The March 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
6 March 2026
After Europe’s rapid buildout of floating LNG import capacity, Exmar CEO Carl-Antoine Saverys says future growth in floating gas infrastructure will increasingly be driven by developing markets as lower prices, rising energy demand and the need to replace coal unlock new opportunities for unconventional and tailor-made solutions
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
