Shell confirms oil find at Empty Quarter

Royal Dutch Shell said a joint venture with state-owned Saudi Aramco had discovered a hydrocarbons system at the Kingdom's Empty Quarter, Middle East Economic Digest (MEED) reported.

Ceri Powell, Vice-President of strategy at Shell International, said South Rub Al Khali (Srak) had made a hydrocarbon discovery, but declined to give details, the London-based magazine, published on Friday, reported.

Srak is equally owned by the two partners.

Powell is also a Srak board member.

The magazine said there had been rumours that Srak discovered commercial quantities of gas as part of drilling at its fourth exploratory well, named Kidan 6, in contract area one near the remote Shaybah oil field.

The joint venture began exploring in 2004 for gas, condensate and natural gas liquids in nine blocks in two separate parts of the vast desert area of southeast Saudi Arabia, known in Arabic as Rub Al Khali (Empty Quarter).

Saudi Arabia is the world's largest oil exporter. Shell is the second largest private sector energy corporation in the world.