Aramco’s strategic gas expansion progresses with $25bn contract awards

Aramco, one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies, has awarded contracts worth more than $25 billion to progress its strategic gas expansion, which targets sales gas production growth of more than 60% by 2030, compared to 2021 levels.

 Amin H. Nasser, Aramco President & CEO, said: “These contract awards demonstrate our firm belief in the future of gas as an important energy source, as well as a vital feedstock for downstream industries. The scale of our ongoing investment at Jafurah and the expansion of our Master Gas System underscores our intention to further integrate and grow our gas business to meet anticipated rising demand. 

This complements the diversification of our portfolio, creates new employment opportunities, and supports the Kingdom’s transition towards a lower-emission power grid, in which gas and renewables gradually displace liquids-based power generation.

 To get where we are today, a lot of hard work, innovation and a strong ‘can do’ spirit has been demonstrated by teams across our vast network of suppliers and service providers, who have joined Aramco on this journey to build and expand our world-class energy infrastructure.” 

The contracts relate to phase two development of the vast Jafurah unconventional gas field, phase three expansion of Aramco’s Master Gas System, new gas rigs and ongoing capacity maintenance.Saudi Aramco, the largest energy company in the world, granted contracts worth $25 billion for the development of its Jafurah gas project to boost production capability and reduce global warming emissions, reported Bloomberg.

The contracts that were awarded include $12.4 billion for the increase in production at the Jafurah gas field and on top of that $8.8 billion was for the expansion of the master gas system, which delivers natural gas to the buyers around the country, according to a company statement. Aramco also awarded $2.4 billion in gas rig contracts.

Saudi Arabia has the biggest gas reserves in the world, and the development of such a reserve in the Jafurah field, which is estimated to hold 200 trillion cubic feet of natural gas will cost nearly $100 billion. This will increase Aramco’s natural gas production more than 60 per cent by 2030 which is necessary for the rising demand, according to the company executive.

“The scale of our ongoing investment at Jafurah and the expansion of our Master Gas System underscores our intention to further integrate and grow our gas business to meet anticipated rising demand,” said Nasser. The natural gas produced from the project will be used to supply the domestic industries in the country, with any form of excess capacity production it will be potentially used to make blue hydrogen or exported to other countries and Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), said Aramco.

Saudi Aramco’s market value is at $1.788 trillion, making the Middle East-based energy giant, the biggest producer of energy resources in the world. It is followed by Exxon Mobil at $516.42 billion, and Chevron at $286.06 billion, according to data collected from CompanyMarketCap.

Aramco’s Master Gas System is an extensive network of pipelines that connects Aramco’s key gas production and processing sites throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Its expansion will increase access to domestic gas supplies for customers in the industrial, utility and other sectors — providing a lower greenhouse gas emission alternative to oil for power generation.

 From 1982, the network transported associated gas, also known as “waste gas” released during oil production, instead of being flared — illustrating Aramco’s innovation and early adoption of solutions that help mitigate emissions.