Sustaining low carbon intensity crude oil
A study conducted in 2017 and published in early 2018 in Nature Energy examined the well-to-refinery carbon intensity of all crude oil grades supplied to the Chinese market, including those imported or produced locally.
In crude oil production and processing, carbon intensity is a measure of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with producing a barrel of oil from the well to the refinery. The study examined crude oil grades supplied from over 100 oil fields in 20 countries and concluded that Saudi Arabian crude oils have the lowest carbon intensity.
The low carbon intensity advantage of Saudi Arabian crude oil is a result of multiple factors, including our long-standing practices in well completion, reservoir management, and flare minimization.
For example, technologies such as mobility geosteering, multilateral wells with smart completions, and peripheral water flooding, have led to low water production per barrel relative to the depletion stage of the reservoir, which directly translates to lower energy requirements to process and recycle water, and consequently reduces our greenhouse gas emissions in oil production and processing.