Saudi Arabia’s Gas Flaring Mitigation Experience

Initiative -
Type Commentary
Date 14 September 2020

Abstract

Gas is envisaged as the fuel of choice in the power sector and is the ideal fuel to help transition toward clean, sustainable, and affordable energy access. As vital as gas is for electricity generation, the petrochemical industry, the transportation sector, and heating, many oil operators either flare or vent associated gas, a by-product of oil extraction, at the wellhead or gathering stations. This releases greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere and is done for various reasons, including infrastructure constraints, a lack of financial incentives to capture and process gas, poor regulatory frameworks, or binding contractual rights.

Authors

Majed A. Al Suwailem

Research Fellow Majed is a Research Fellow at KAPSARC with a focus on energy security, geopolitics, and hydrocarbon laws and regulations. He…

Majed is a Research Fellow at KAPSARC with a focus on energy security, geopolitics, and hydrocarbon laws and regulations. He has more than 15 years of experience in the oil and gas industry in the fields of simulation and modeling, asset management, reserves estimation, oil field development, disruptive technologies, and business planning, gained at Chevron and Saudi Aramco.

Majed holds a B.S. degree in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa in the United States, along with two M.S. degrees in petroleum engineering, and reservoir geosciences and engineering, respectively, from Texas A&M University and the Institut Francais du Petrole (IFP School). In 2021, Majed earned his Master of Science degree in public economics and policy from Purdue University.

Expertise