Jafurah: the jewel of our unconventional gas program

Once the Jafurah basin's enormous hydrocarbon potential had been confirmed, through the drilling of the first vertical and lateral wells in the Tuwaiq Mountain source rock, our plans to develop the gas field were put in place.

These included two key elements:

First, we had to build the necessary technical and organizational competencies required to explore, discover, and appraise such a large unconventional gas field.

Second, we had to deploy a methodical de-risking strategy.

This included the acquisition of comprehensive sub-surface data and the creation of geological maps to guide our explorations, and the drilling of appraisal wells — which were in operation for periods of up to three years — to assess productivity and improve our decision-making.

To take performance to the next level, we developed fit-for-purpose drilling solutions and implemented high-performance technologies. These included new designs of drilling systems, and a fleet of 'walking rigs' that can be moved as a complete unit from one well to another — improving both safety and operational efficiency.

And we applied innovative in-house technologies and best-in-class practices in hydraulic fracturing operations, that have already resulted in enhanced production and improved well delivery.

Extracting large quantities of gas from an unconventional gas field requires both great technical and engineering expertise, and a long-term vision backed by investment.

Such is the enormous scale of the opportunity at Jafurah that $10 billion of contracts are already in place to develop the initial phase of the project.  

When completed, the Jafurah facility aims to ensure the reliable delivery of natural gas and condensates through a dedicated surface network. This network includes a gas processing plant, an NGL fractionation plant, a gas-compression system, 

and a network of around 1,500 kilometers of main transfer pipelines, flow lines, and gas-gathering pipelines.

The project also involves the construction of an electric Bulk Supply Point, transmission lines, and power interconnection for the Jafurah Gas Field.

As the construction and development of this state-of-the-art gas facility gathers pace, so too will its gas production.

Providing a valuable feedstock

Jafurah aims to generate other valuable products, too. By 2030, the facility is predicted to generate over 420 million scfd of ethane and around 630,000 barrels of NGLs and condensates per day, which, if achieved, can act as necessary feedstock for the rapidly-growing demands of the petrochemical industry.

We also expect Jafurah to stimulate the local economy, generating both direct and indirect jobs.