The Middle East is home to some of the largest and economical oilfields in the world.
The world’s largest oil field, Saudi Arabia’s Ghawar Field, for instance, produces around 4 million barrels of oil per day, accounting for well over one-thirds of Saudi Arabia’s total production.
Here is a list of the top five oil fields in the Middle East region:
1. Ghawar Field
Total Oil Reserves Based on Cumulative Past Production and Future Production Potential: 96 billion barrels
Country: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Ghawar Field is the world’s largest oil field both in daily oil production and also oil reserves when including cumulative past oil production. In terms of oil production, Ghawar Field produces almost 4 million barrels a day, and in terms of total oil reserves including cumulative past production, the oil field has 96 billion barrels of oil. In part due to Ghawar Field’s contribution, Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest exporter of oil.
2. Burgan Field
Total Oil Reserves Based on Cumulative Past Production and Future Production Potential: 67.2 billion barrels
Country: Kuwait
Burgan Field is the world’s second largest oil field based on total oil reserves when including cumulative past production of 67.2 billion barrels. Given oil production of 1.68 million barrels per day in 2018, Burgan Field is pretty important to Kuwait and also the global economy.
3. Ahvaz Field
Total Oil Reserves Based on Cumulative Past Production and Future Production Potential: 65 billion barrels
Country: Iran
Ahvaz Field is Iran’s largest oil field with 65 billion barrels of total oil reserves when including cumulative past production. Like the Gachsaran Field, Ahvaz Field has been in operation for a while considering it first went into production in 1954. In 2016, the oil field produced 750,000 barrels per day.
4. Gachsaran Field
Total Oil Reserves Based on Cumulative Past Production and Future Production Potential: 52.9 billion barrels
Country: Iran
Gachsaran Field is Iran’s second largest oil field with 52.9 billion barrels of total oil reserves when including cumulative past production. Although it has been in operation since 1930, Gachsaran Field nevertheless still produces around 560,000 barrels per day
5. Upper Zakum Oil Field
Total Oil Reserves Based on Cumulative Past Production and Future Production Potential: 50 billion barrels
Country: UAE
Upper Zakum Oil Field is one of the two largest offshore oil fields in the world along with Saudi Arabia’s Safaniya Oil Field. With current development, the oil field could increase its production to 1 million barrels per day by 2024. Upper Zakum Oil Field ranks #5 on our list of 15 Largest Oil Fields in the World given total oil reserves of 50 billion barrels when including cumulative past production.
