By: Oil & gas Middle east

Saudi Aramco is advancing its Jafurah development, positioning the unconventional gas project as a cornerstone of its long-term growth and energy diversification strategy.

Located southeast of the Ghawar field in Saudi Arabia, Jafurah is estimated to hold 229 trillion cubic feet of raw gas and 75 billion barrels of condensate, making it one of the largest shale gas developments outside the United States.

The project has drawn on expertise from global service providers including Halliburton and Sinopec, with advanced technologies such as walking rigs and hydraulic fracturing deployed to accelerate drilling and completions.

Production at Jafurah began in December 2025, marking a key milestone for a project that has been in development for several years.

Nasir Al-Naimi said early well performance has been strong, validating the company’s technology-driven approach and reinforcing the project’s importance to its gas growth strategy.

Aramco is targeting output of 2 billion standard cubic feet per day of gas from Jafurah by 2030, alongside 420 million cubic feet per day of ethane and 630,000 barrels per day of associated liquids.

A key objective is to replace up to 500,000 barrels per day of crude oil currently used for domestic power generation with gas, freeing up additional volumes for export. At current prices, this could generate nearly $12.8bn in annual revenue.

Aramco expects the project to deliver incremental operating cash flows of between $12bn and $15bn by 2030, as it scales production and captures value from increased gas and liquids output.

The development forms part of a broader strategy to increase gas production by up to 80% above 2021 levels, as the company seeks to meet rising domestic demand and expand its position in global gas markets.

The push into gas also aligns with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 agenda, which aims to diversify the economy and reduce reliance on oil revenues.