Preface

This blog presents satellite imagery and analysis pertinent to the energy infrastructure of Saudi Arabia. It uses the book Twilight in the Desert by Matt Simmons as a guide to the rather secretive doings of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned petroleum company. Because Saudi Arabia is home to the world's most productive oil fields, it has attained an almost mythical status in its ability to delivery increasing amounts of energy now as well as in the future. In his book, Matt Simmons has presented a comprehensive overview of the history, current state, and future prospects for oil production by Saudi Arabia. Rather than trying to duplicate this work, I will use it as a rough outline and reference to a more visual exploration of this desert kingdom.

While Saudi Arabian oil accounts for less than 15% of the world production, it represents much more than that in terms of future oil production. To be sure, Saudi Arabia has a lot of oil left. But the oil of the future is different. Whereas the oil of the past was cheap and effortless -- just strike a well in a huge reservoir and pump out 10,000 barrels per day -- that of the future will come from smaller reservoirs of lower quality with lots of expensive technology brought to muster. How will this go? Too early to tell at this point, but I hope to answer more than a few questions by taking a little peek.