<h1>Ghawar Oil and Gas Project (Saudi Arabia)</h1>
<h2>Overview</h2>
<p>The Ghawar Oil and Gas Project is an onshore operating oil and gas project in Saudi Arabia operated by Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco). Located in the Eastern Province,in and around Al-Ahsa,it is one of the most important conventional hydrocarbon developments in the world. Ghawar was discovered in 1948 and entered production in 1951. It is described as the world's largest conventional oil field,with associated gas production and major gas processing facilities integrated into Saudi Arabia's wider oil and gas system.</p>
<p>The project is wholly owned by Saudi Arabian Oil Co. It is classified as a mixed oil and gas development because it includes major oil-producing areas as well as gas-producing or gas-processing components. Global Energy Monitor identifies the project as consisting of several units,including Shedgum,South Ghawar,Ain Dar,and Waqr.</p>
<h2>Quick Facts</h2>
<table>
<colgroup>
<col>
<col>
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Item</th>
<th>Detail</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Project Name</td>
<td>Ghawar Oil and Gas Project</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Country</td>
<td>Saudi Arabia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Subnational Unit</td>
<td>Eastern Province / Al-Ahsa Governorate</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Fuel Type</td>
<td>Oil and gas</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Production Type</td>
<td>Mixed</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Status</td>
<td>Operating</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Status Year</td>
<td>2024</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Operator</td>
<td>Saudi Arabian Oil Company</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Owner(s)</td>
<td>Saudi Arabian Oil Co 100%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Parent Company</td>
<td>Saudi Arabian Oil Co 100.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Discovery Year</td>
<td>1948</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Production Start Year</td>
<td>1951</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Onshore/Offshore</td>
<td>Onshore</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h2>Project Overview</h2>
<p>Ghawar is Saudi Arabia's most prominent onshore producing field complex. Operated by Saudi Aramco,it forms a major part of the kingdom's crude oil production system. Saudipedia describes Ghawar as the largest conventional oil field in the world,located in Al-Ahsa Governorate in the Eastern Province,more than 200 kilometres long and between 24 kilometres and 36 kilometres wide.</p>
<p>Global Energy Monitor provides project-level production,reserve,and ownership information. Saudi Aramco's 2019 prospectus identified Ghawar's maximum sustainable crude oil capacity as 3.8 million barrels per day,lower than older estimates that often cited more than 5 million barrels per day. Ghawar also includes gas processing and fractionation facilities at Hawiyah,Shedgum,Haradh,and Uthmaniyah.</p>
<h2>Location and Operating Area</h2>
<p>The Ghawar project is located onshore in eastern Saudi Arabia,in the Eastern Province,particularly in Al-Ahsa Governorate. Saudipedia states that Ghawar is approximately 100 kilometres from Dhahran,where Saudi Aramco is headquartered. The field curves across a large area on the edge of the Empty Quarter desert,extending for more than 200 kilometres. Major producing areas include Ain Dar,Shedgum,Uthmaniyah,Hawiyah,and Haradh.</p>
<h2>Operator and Ownership</h2>
<p>Ghawar is operated and 100% owned by Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco). This makes it a wholly owned upstream asset rather than a multi-company joint venture. Reservoir management,production allocation,and field strategy are controlled within the Saudi Aramco system,placing Ghawar within the kingdom's wider energy policy framework.</p>
<h2>Development History</h2>
<table>
<colgroup>
<col>
<col>
<col>
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Milestone</th>
<th>Year</th>
<th>Details</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Discovery milestone</td>
<td>1948</td>
<td>Ghawar was discovered in 1948. Saudipedia states that development followed earlier indications of oil in the field area and that Ain Dar was the first well drilled.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Development milestone</td>
<td>1951</td>
<td>Saudi Aramco officially began operating the field in 1951,marking the start of large-scale production.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Production milestone</td>
<td>1951</td>
<td>The project entered production in 1951 and has remained one of Saudi Arabia's principal producing field systems.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Recent status milestone</td>
<td>2024</td>
<td>The project remains classified as operating,with Global Energy Monitor identifying 2024 production design capacity data and continued Saudi Aramco ownership and operatorship.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Ghawar was discovered in 1948 and entered production in 1951. Saudipedia states that early indicators of oil appeared in 1940,but development was delayed by the Second World War. Ghawar later became the core of Saudi Arabia's crude oil production system; Saudipedia states that its production has exceeded half of the kingdom's cumulative oil production. Modern development includes extensive waterflooding,gas handling,processing plants,and continued field management across major producing areas.</p>
<h2>Infrastructure and Facilities</h2>
<p>Ghawar is a large onshore field complex with wells,production areas,gas processing facilities,and pipeline-linked infrastructure. Saudipedia identifies six major production areas: Haradh,Hawiyah,Farzan,Shedgum,Ain Dar,and Uthmaniyah. It also states that the Ghawar range retains four processing and fractionation facilities for natural gas and non-associated gas,located across Al-Hawiyah,Shedgum,Haradh,and Uthmaniyah. The Uthmaniyah plant is described as one of the largest gas processing plants in the world. Hawiyah has a processing capacity of 2.6 billion cubic feet per day,and Haradh adds about 1.833 billion cubic feet per day of raw feedstock for sweet and sour gas.</p>
<p>Global Energy Monitor identifies several units within the Ghawar project: Shedgum Oil and Gas Field,South Ghawar Gas Field,Ain Dar Oil Field,and Waqr Gas Field. The project is onshore,with no FPSOs,subsea systems,offshore platforms,or LNG trains.</p>
<h2>Production and Reserves</h2>
<p>Global Energy Monitor reports production of 1,262.9 million barrels of oil per year in 2019 and 1,109.6 million barrels of oil per year in 2022. The most important public capacity figure is Saudi Aramco's field-level maximum sustainable capacity of 3.8 million barrels per day,disclosed in the 2019 prospectus. Older sources had reported Ghawar capacity at 5 million barrels per day or higher,but those figures appear to predate the Aramco prospectus disclosure. Global Energy Monitor reports proved hydrocarbon reserves of 58,319 million barrels of oil equivalent in 2018 and remaining liquids reserves of approximately 48 billion barrels at the end of 2018. Production rates have declined since 1997 based on the summarized historical data.</p>
<h2>Recent Developments</h2>
<p>Recent project-specific public updates for Ghawar are limited. Saudi Aramco continues to emphasize maintaining maximum sustainable crude oil capacity,developing gas resources,and expanding domestic gas supply. Reuters reported in 2025 that Saudi Arabia previously planned to raise capacity to 13 million barrels per day,but the Ministry of Energy reduced the objective to 12 million barrels per day in early 2024. Saudi Aramco's 2024 and 2025 reports also emphasize gas expansion through fields such as Jafurah and expansion of the Master Gas System. No recent source confirms a new FID or standalone Ghawar expansion phase.</p>
<h2>Sources</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.gem.wiki/Ghawar_Oil_and_Gas_Project_%28Saudi_Arabia%29" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Global Energy Monitor: Ghawar Oil and Gas Project (Saudi Arabia)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.gem.wiki/Ain_Dar_Oil_Field_%28Saudi_Arabia%29" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Global Energy Monitor: Ain Dar Oil Field (Saudi Arabia)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.gem.wiki/Shedgum_Oil_and_Gas_Field_%28Saudi_Arabia%29" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Global Energy Monitor: Shedgum Oil and Gas Field (Saudi Arabia)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.gem.wiki/South_Ghawar_Gas_Field_%28Saudi_Arabia%29" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Global Energy Monitor: South Ghawar Gas Field (Saudi Arabia)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.gem.wiki/Waqr_Gas_Field_%28Saudi_Arabia%29" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Global Energy Monitor: Waqr Gas Field (Saudi Arabia)</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.aramco.com/-/media/images/investors/saudi-aramco-prospectus-en-051219.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Saudi Aramco: Prospectus</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.aramco.com/-/media/publications/corporate-reports/annual-reports/saudi-aramco-ara-2024-english.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Saudi Aramco: Annual Report 2024</a></li>
<li><a href="https://saudipedia.com/en/ghawar-oil-field" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Saudipedia: Ghawar Oil Field</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/saudi-aramco-can-sustain-12-million-bpd-maximum-oil-capacity-year-ceo-says-2025-10-13/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Reuters: Saudi Aramco Maximum Sustainable Capacity Statement</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.eia.gov/international/analysis/country/SAU" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">U.S. Energy Information Administration: Saudi Arabia Country Analysis</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Related Topics</h2>
<ul>
<li>Saudi Aramco upstream operations</li>
<li>Saudi Arabia onshore oil production</li>
<li>Ghawar field reservoir management</li>
<li>Ain Dar Oil Field</li>
<li>Shedgum Oil and Gas Field</li>
<li>South Ghawar Gas Field</li>
<li>Waqr Gas Field</li>
<li>Uthmaniyah gas processing plant</li>
<li>Hawiyah gas plant</li>
<li>Waterflooding in giant oil fields</li>
<li>Maximum sustainable crude oil capacity</li>
<li>Mature conventional oilfield integrity management</li>
</ul>

IEPTC reference profile for Ghawar Oil and Gas in Saudi Arabia,covering asset type,location,development status,and upstream industry context.

Ghawar Oil and Gas Project (Saudi Arabia)

Learn how to grow and scale your online course business using our online course platform. EzyCourse blog is designed to teach you how to create and sell online courses.

Ghawar Oil and Gas Project (Saudi Arabia)

Ghawar Oil and Gas Project (Saudi Arabia)

Related Posts

Adrar Oil and Gas Project

Agbami Oil and Gas Project,Nigeria

Ahvaz Oil Project,Iran

Aishwariya Barmer Hill Oil Project,Rajasthan,India

Akacias Oil Project,Meta,Colombia