The Jafurah field is an onshore gas development located in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. The field is owned and operated by state-owned petroleum and natural gas company, Saudi Aramco.
Development activities commenced in November 2021, following the signing of subsurface and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts worth $10bn.
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Gas production at Jafurah is expected to begin in 2025, with the development including the construction of a gas treatment plant and a cogeneration plant.
The field is also projected to yield substantial quantities of ethane, natural gas liquids (NGL), and condensate.
Project location
The Jafurah onshore gas field spans approximately 17,000km² in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, stretching 170km long and 100km wide. It is recognised as the kingdom’s largest unconventional non-associated gas field.
Reserves
The Jafurah field is estimated to contain resources amounting to 229 trillion standard cubic feet of raw gas and 75 billion stock tank barrels of condensate as of February 2024. The proven reserves are reported at 15 trillion standard cubic feet of raw gas and two billion stock tank barrels of condensate.
Jafurah gas field details
The Jafurah basin’s considerable hydrocarbon potential was unveiled through the drilling of initial vertical and lateral wells in the Tuwaiq mountain source rock.
The process involved the collection of detailed subsurface data, the creation of geological maps to guide exploration, and the operation of appraisal wells for up to three years to evaluate productivity and inform decision-making.
A dedicated surface network is to be developed for the Jafurah facility, ensuring the reliable delivery of natural gas and condensates. The network will encompass a gas processing plant, an NGL fractionation plant, and a gas-compression system.
A pipeline network will also be developed that will consist of approximately 1,500km of main transfer pipelines, flow lines, and gas-gathering pipelines.
The project also involves the construction of an electric Bulk Supply Point, transmission lines, and power interconnection for the Jafurah gas field.
The Jafurah cogeneration plant, to be constructed by the second half of 2025, will supply electricity and heat to the Jafurah gas field. The plant will be located approximately 400km east of Riyadh and will have an electric power generation capacity of 320MW and a steam generation capacity of 314 tonnes per hour.
The Jafurah gas processing plant will be developed in two phases and is expected to have a raw gas processing capacity of 3.1 billion standard cubic feet per day, upon completion in 2027.
Production of natural gas at Jafurah is expected to ramp up from 200 million standard cubic feet per day in 2025 to two billion standard cubic feet per day of sales gas by 2030. It will include 418 million standard cubic feet per day of ethane and approximately 630,000 barrels per day of gas liquids and condensates. It will position Saudi Arabia among the world’s largest natural gas producers.
Contractors involved
Oilfield field services provider Saipem was awarded an EPC contract valued at $750m in November 2021. The contract’s scope includes engineering, supply of materials, construction, and commissioning of approximately 835km of pipelines for the transportation of gas, condensate, and production water.
Korea Electric Power (KEPCO) secured the contract to develop the Jafurah cogeneration plant and will manage the project development and operations for 20 years under a build-own-operate-transfer scheme.
KEPCO subcontracted Doosan Ernerbility (formerly Doosan Heavy Industries), an energy solutions provider, to deliver EPC services involving the overall process from design to the equipment supply, installation, and plant commissioning.
Consulting company WSP was appointed by KEPCO as the environmental consultant to conduct an environmental and social impact assessment for the cogeneration plant.
Engineering company KPEG was awarded the engineering service contract for the proposal stage of the gas plant. The scope of work included equipment and structure modelling, pipe rack and structure information, plot plan development, piping layout, modelling, and takeoff material.
Project benefits
Aramco’s exploration of unconventional gas fields is expected to diversify its gas portfolio, generating new business opportunities.
The Jafurah gas field, by supplying gas for electric power generation, water desalination, and steel production, as well as providing essential raw materials such as ethane for the local industry, is set to make a significant contribution to the local economy.
