Aramco's Jafurah shale gas faces obstacles

Water scarcity and a lack of transport infrastructure work against the recovery of gas from the shale field. Once overcome, its output may be better suited to displacing crude domestically than for LNG exports

Saudi Arabia has deeply held ambitions to be a major gas player, both regionally and internationally. But its latest shale gas project comes with several concerns that could limit its role in the global market and put into question the viability of exporting gas from the field altogether.  “There are clear logistical challenges to making shale work in that part of Saudi Arabia, given the lack of water resources and limited transport links,” James Waddell, senior global gas analyst at Energy Aspects, tells Petroleum Economist.  The $110bn project is expected to come onstream by 2024 and has a longer than usual ramp-up period until plateau capacity, which will not be until 2036, according to f