Russia’s Lukoil is still in negotiations with Saudi Aramco on the gas offtake price before it can start drilling in its gas field in the Empty Quarter, and hopes to start drilling for tight gas in Block A, sometime next year, MEES understands.

Lukoil, Shell and China’s Sinopec are the only remaining foreign oil companies drilling for gas in the kingdom, though progress has been slow and hinges on reaching an acceptable compromise on the price of gas, which will be expensive to produce in a remote area with little infrastructure. (CONTINUED - 797 WORDS)