Saudi Arabia performs about 100 fracking operations per year in various areas of the Kingdom, including such remote locations as Rub-Al-Khali desert, according to Lukoil Overseas.
The fracking operations mainly use water from water wells that have been specifically drilled to reach water aquifers and support drilling of exploration and development wells. The water is not potable, but after filtration may be used to stimulate formations.
“This approach is reinforced by the experience that Lukoil Saudi Arabia Energy Ltd has gained from fracking in six exploration wells located in the Rub-Al-Khali desert,” said Anton Belousov, head of the Geological Department, Lukoil Saudi Arabia Energy.
Well-known international service companies such as Schlumberger, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes are the main fracking contractors in Saudi Arabia.
“The companies have relevant capacities to perform operations in remote locations: fracking vehicles, equipment, chemicals, mobile units for treatment and reusing of the water produced during well clean-up,” said Belousov.
However Chris Faulkner, CEO of Breitling Energy Group says that water for fracking is still going to be a large hurdle.
“Additionally, the cost of conventional oil and gas extraction is a fraction of the cost to lift a barrel of oil or a thousand cubic feet of natural gas out of these formations. Oil extraction in the US can exceed $55 per barrel of oil,” Faulkner said. “That is expensive oil.”
