Saudi Arabia Country Analysis Brief

Some outside analysts, notably Matthew Simmons of Houston-based Simmons and Company International, have disputed Aramco’s optimistic assessments of Saudi oil reserves and future production, pointing to — among other things — more rapid depletion rates and a higher “water cut” than the Saudis claim. EIA forecasts that Saudi oil production capacity could reach 18.2 million bbl/d by 2020, and 22.5 million bbl/d by 2025, a prediction which the Saudis have said is “unrealistic.”

DOE-EIA