Wedoany.com Report-Dec.3, Saudi Aramco has completed the first phase of its Jafurah gas development project, with initial production starting at 450 million standard cubic feet per day (scf/d), the Kingdom's Ministry of Finance announced on Tuesday.

The milestone was highlighted in the 2026 pre-budget statement as one of the key accomplishments of 2025. The Jafurah field, located in the Eastern Province, is regarded as one of the largest unconventional gas projects outside the United States and holds an estimated 229 trillion standard cubic feet of gas resources.

When fully developed, the field is planned to reach a sustained production level of 2 billion scf/d by 2030, significantly expanding Saudi Arabia's natural gas output.

Aramco President and CEO Amin Nasser previously described Jafurah as a cornerstone of the company's long-term strategy. During the third-quarter earnings call in November, he confirmed that phase one remained on schedule for completion by the end of 2025.

Earlier this year, Aramco secured $11 billion in financing through a lease-and-leaseback arrangement for part of the Jafurah gas processing facilities. The transaction involved a consortium led by Global Infrastructure Partners, now part of BlackRock.

The overall Jafurah development is estimated to exceed $100 billion across multiple phases. Increased gas production from the field will allow more crude oil currently consumed in domestic power plants to be made available for international markets, supporting both energy security and export revenue objectives.

The project includes extensive infrastructure for gas treatment, processing, and transportation, as well as facilities to extract and market valuable natural gas liquids.

Production from the initial phase is now ramping up, marking an important step toward achieving the field's long-term targets and strengthening Saudi Arabia's position in the global natural gas sector.