Empty Quarter holds its secrets

A scramble for gas in Saudi Arabia

After four consortiums of international partners have drilled 22 wells, only one team, from the Russian giant Lukoil, said it made a commercial-scale discovery but it remains unclear how significant the find is.

Experts say Saudi Arabia will need more than marginal discoveries as it faces the challenge of satisfying a gas market that will grow by 5 per cent every year, according to Saudi Aramco estimates.