Saudi Arabia's history with oil and gas is deeply intertwined with its economic and geopolitical landscape. The Kingdom's oil industry traces back to the 1930s when large-scale exploration began in earnest. The discovery of the Ghawar Field in 1948 marked a turning point, as it became the world's largest conventional oil field and a cornerstone of Saudi Arabia's production capabilities. Ghawar alone has produced billions of barrels of oil since its discovery.
Beyond Ghawar, Saudi Arabia boasts several other major oil fields, including Safaniya, Shaybah, and Khurais, each contributing significantly to the country's overall production capacity. These fields have been pivotal in maintaining Saudi Arabia's position as a global oil powerhouse, allowing it to influence global oil markets through production levels controlled by the national oil company, Saudi Aramco.
Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company, is central to the Kingdom's oil and gas operations. It manages vast reserves and operates numerous fields, leveraging advanced technologies to extract and process crude oil and natural gas efficiently. Saudi Aramco's operational scale and technological expertise have enabled Saudi Arabia to maintain its status as the world's largest oil exporter.
In addition to conventional onshore fields, Saudi Arabia has also ventured into offshore oil production. The Safaniya Field, located in the Persian Gulf, stands out as one of the largest offshore oil fields globally, contributing significantly to the Kingdom's total oil production.
Over the decades, Saudi Arabia has extracted immense quantities of oil and gas, fueling its economic growth and global influence. The exact figures vary but are in the tens of billions of barrels for oil and trillions of cubic feet for natural gas. Despite substantial extraction, Saudi Arabia continues to hold extensive reserves, estimated among the largest globally. These reserves are crucial for future sustainability and economic planning, with ongoing exploration and development efforts aimed at expanding and replenishing these resources.
As a leading global exporter, Saudi Arabia plays a pivotal role in the energy markets, particularly through its oil exports. The Kingdom exports significant volumes of crude oil and refined petroleum products, supporting economies worldwide and shaping global energy pricing and supply dynamics. Its strategic position in global oil markets underscores its influence, with production levels and export policies closely monitored for their impact on global economic stability and energy security.
Field Acronyms
EUR_MMBOE = Estimated ultimate recovery in million barrels of oil equivalent
Giant oil and gas fields = those with 500 million barrels (79,000,000 m3) of ultimately recoverable oil or gas equivalent.
Super giant oil field = holds equivalent of 5.5bn barrels of oil reserves.
Abqaiq Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1940, Supergiant Field
Abu Hadriya Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1940, Giant Field
Abu Jifan Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1973, Giant Field
Abu Sa'fah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1963, Supergiant Field
Abu Shaddad Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1996, Giant Field
Barqan Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1969, Giant Field
Berri Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1964, Supergiant Field
Dammam Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1938, Giant Field
Dhib Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1979, Giant Field
Dibdibah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1975, Giant Field
Dilam Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1989, Giant Field
Dorra Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1967, Giant Field
Du'ayban Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 2005, Giant Field
Fadhili Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1949, Giant Field
Farhah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1984, Giant Field
Ghawar Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1948, Megagiant Field
Ghazal Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 2000, Giant Field
Habari Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1976, Giant Field
Hamd Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1982, Giant Field
Hamur Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1979, Giant Field
Harmaliyah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1971, Giant Field
Harqus Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1978, Giant Field
Hasbah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1976, Giant Field
Hawtah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1989, Giant Field
Hazmiyah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1990, Giant Field
Hout Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1963, Giant Field
Jaladi Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1978, Giant Field
Jana Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1967, Giant Field
Jauf Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1983, Giant Field
Jawb Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1979, Giant Field
Jurayd Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1968, Giant Field
Karan Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1967, Giant Field
Karan Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 2006, Giant Field
Khafji Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1959, Supergiant Field
Khurais Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1957, Supergiant Field
Khursaniyah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1956, Giant Field
Lawhah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1975, Giant Field
Lughfah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1979, Giant Field
Maghrib Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1983, Giant Field
Maharah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1973, Giant Field
Manifa Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1957, Supergiant Field
Marjan Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1967, Supergiant Field
Mazalij Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1971, Giant Field
Niban Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1999, Giant Field
Qatif Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1945, Supergiant Field
Qubqub Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1977, Giant Field
Raghib Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1990, Giant Field
Rimthan Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1974, Giant Field
Sadawi Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1976, Giant Field
Safaniya Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1951, Megagiant Field
Sahba Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1984, Giant Field
Samin Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1979, Giant Field
Shaden Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1999, Giant Field
Sharar Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1976, Giant Field
Shaybah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1968, Supergiant Field
Suban Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1976, Giant Field
Suhul Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1977, Giant Field
Takhman Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 2002, Giant Field
Tinat Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1982, Giant Field
Wadayhi Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1998, Giant Field
Wari'ah Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1978, Giant Field
Zuluf Field, Saudi Arabia, Discovered 1965, Supergiant Field