Saudi Aramco finds new gas fields in four regions

Context

Saudi Aramco (Saudi Arabian Oil Company) has discovered several new natural gas fields.

About

The new gas fields:

Central region - Shadoon
Southeastern region - Shehab and Shurfa
Northern border with Iraq - Umm Khansar
Eastern region – Samna
Two of the gas fields, Samna and Umm Khansar, are “non-conventional”.
Non-conventional deposits, also known as shale, are usually trapped in tight pore spaces, requiring special extraction techniques.

Shale gas:

Shale gas refers to natural gas that is trapped within shale formations.
Shales are fine-grained sedimentary rocks that can be rich resources of petroleum and natural gas.
Sedimentary rocks are rocks formed by the accumulation of sediments at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water.
Common sedimentary rocks include sandstone, limestone, and shale.

Facts & Figures about Oil and gas in Saudi Arabia:

The oil and gas sector accounts for nearly 50% of Saudi Arabia’s GDP and 70% of its export earnings (OPEC)
About 60% of Saudi Arabia’s total gas production comes from four fields: Ghawar, Safaniya, Berri and Zuluf. Associated natural gas produced at the Ghawar Oil Field alone accounts for almost 50% of total production (EIA)
Electricity demand increased by a compound average growth rate of 6% between 1990 and 2016 due to population growth and industrial sector development
Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are the three largest gas producers in the Middle East, accounting for 34%, 27% and 17% of the region’s output, respectively
Iran and Saudi Arabia are expected to account for 70% of the total consumption increase in the Middle East by 2025 (IEA).