Saudi Aramco has initiated the sale of condensate from its Jafurah unconventional gas field, marking the first cargoes from this major project. Deliveries are set to begin imminently, with buyers including Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Indian Oil Corporation.

Project Scale and Output

Jafurah is the largest ongoing gas and condensate development in the Middle East, with a planned capital expenditure exceeding $100 billion across multiple phases. By 2030, the project is expected to reach a production capacity of 2 billion cubic feet per day of sales gas, 420 million cubic feet per day of ethane, and 630,000 barrels per day of condensate and other associated liquids.

Initial Sales and Export Potential

The initial sales involve multiple cargoes scheduled for loading in the coming months. Chevron purchased two cargoes, while ExxonMobil and Indian Oil Corporation each bought cargoes for lifting next month. Aramco has the potential to export between four to six 500,000-barrel cargoes of Jafurah condensate monthly from the Yanbu port on the country's east coast.

Product and Production Timeline

Condensate is a light liquid hydrocarbon recovered during natural gas production. It can be processed into petrochemical feedstocks like naphtha or blended with crude oil for refining. Gas production from Jafurah's first phase is expected to commence within weeks, building towards the sustainable 2030 sales gas target while also yielding significant volumes of ethane, natural gas liquids, and condensate.

Recent Project Developments

Development continues to advance, with Aramco launching the fifth phase of the Jafurah project in November and soliciting expressions of interest from contractors for additional compression facilities. Requests for comment on the condensate sales sent to Aramco, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Indian Oil Corporation were either declined or went unanswered.