Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:32am EST
* Appraisal to be completed by end-2013
* Kidan is rich in sour gas
KHOBAR, Saudi Arabia, Nov 16 (Reuters) – A joint venture between Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco has won approval from the Saudi government to study the possible development of Kidan area, in Saudi Arabia’s Empty Quarter, the South Rub al-Khali Co (SRAK) venture said on Wednesday.
Kidan is rich in sour gas and is near the 750,000 barrels per day (bpd) Shaybah oilfield, one of the biggest in the world’s top oil exporter. Sour gas has high levels of potentially deadly hydrogen sulphide and therefore is tougher to produce than conventional gas reserves.
Officials from Shell and the joint venture have said further studies are needed to understand the economics of the field before deciding whether it can be developed.
SRAK will drill up to three appraisal wells and conduct extensive studies and aims to complete its appraisal by end-2013.
It submitted its plan last year to continue exploration in Kidan, an area already discovered by Aramco years ago, after announcing in 2009 gas had flowed from Kidan.
“The delineation is very likely to prove significant volumes of additional gas reserves,” said Sadad al-Husseini, an oil analyst and former top official at the Saudi oil giant Aramco.
“The kingdom and the Gulf has important sour gas reserves and these studies will facilitate the development of other similar accumulations,” he said.
SRAK said it completed drilling the first of three exploration wells it plans to drill as part of a second phase of gas exploration.
One factor that could improve the economics of the Kidan exploration area is its proximity to Shaybah, where infrastructure for both oil and associated gas is in place, Michel Faure, the Chief Executive of Shell Saudi Arabia told Reuters in an interview.
Saudi Arabia, which has kept its vast oil reserves off-limits to foreigners, needs gas to help cover domestic fuel demand and conserve oil for lucrative export markets. It invited investors in 2003-2004 to find and produce gas in the desert in Saudi Arabia’s southeast, known as Rub Al Khali.
So far the four consortia have failed to find the volume of gas needed to fuel Saudi economic growth or guarantee returns for investors.
The former CEO of SRAK Kamal al-Yahya told Reuters in October 2010 he saw a potential for Kidan field and the surrounding area “to provide a significant future gas resources for the kingdom.”
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
MORE DETAILS:
A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
