Saudi Arabia has announced that it plans to drill approximately seven test wells for shale gas this year as it seeks to develop its natural gas resources and meet rising domestic energy demands
Saudi Arabian oil minister Ali Al-Naimi said, "We have rough estimates of more than 17 trillion cubic metres of unconventional and shale gas, so the potential is very huge and we plan to exploit it."
Meanwhile, natural gas output firm Saudi Aramco averaged 28mn cubic metres per day in 2011, up from 26mn cubic metres per day in 2010.
Khalid al-Falih, chief executive of Aramco, said in December that the company planned to drill seven natural gas exploration wells in deep and shallow water in the Red Sea, off the coast of the northwestern city of Tabuk.
