Saudi gas drive goes unconventional
Aramco’s gas development is stepping up a gear after several false starts
Saudi Arabia's need to find fresh domestic gas sources came to global attention as long as two decades ago, when majors were offered a unique opportunity to establish a direct presence on the kingdom's hallowed soil to search for the resource in the barren Empty Quarter. The much-hyped ‘Gas Initiative’ ended, though, in failure. Claims eight years ago that newly discovered reserves off the Red Sea coast had the potential to solve the looming gas supply crunch proved equally unfounded. Undeterred, state oil behemoth Saudi Aramco is now pinning a declared ambition to more than double overall gas production heavily on the complex and costly development of unconventional reserves. The firm ann
Also in this section
10 March 2026
From Venezuela to Hormuz, the US—backed by the most powerful military force ever assembled—is redrawing not only oil and gas flows but also the global balance of energy power
10 March 2026
By shutting the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has cut exports of distillate-rich Middle Eastern crude, jet fuel and diesel, and is holding the energy market hostage
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
