Khalid Al-Falih: Saudi Arabia plans to double natural gas output in 10 years

Saudi Arabia plans to double its natural gas production over the next 10 years, the country’s energy minister told reporters on February 14, 2018.

«When it comes to natural gas, over the next decade we are going to be roughly doubling our production to 23 billion cubic feet per day and substantially increasing the percentage of natural gas in the Kingdom’s fuel mix, displacing liquids and therefore reducing carbon (emissions)», Khalid Al-Falih said at the 8th annual IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium on Energy Outlooks occurring in Riyadh.

Natural gas is considered a «green» fuel because burning it releases less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than coal or oil.

Al-Falih also addressed industry-wide concerns regarding the future of an OPEC-led pact to reduce global oil output by 1.8 million barrels per day through the end of the year.

«Market volatility is a common concern for producers and consumers, and the Kingdom is committed to mitigating this volatility and moderating its negative impacts by responsibly meeting its pledges» under the deal. «I am confident that our high degree of cooperation and coordination will continue and bring the desired results», said Falih .

According to OPEC’s latest production figures, Saudi Arabia lifted its January production by 23,300 bpd to 9.977 million bpd – but still below its 10.058-million-bpd quota, over complying once again.