Chevron Uses Steam to Extract Saudi Crude

Saudi Arabia and U.S. oil company Chevron Corp. have successfully extracted previously unreachable Saudi crude by injecting steam into oil fields to loosen dense sludge-like deposits, San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron said.

Steam injection tests began on six wells this year in the Wafra oil field, located in a neutral zone shared by Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, a Chevron spokesman said. Oil from the area is shared equally by both countries.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi said steam injection could be used to add “tens of billions” of barrels to the kingdom’s proven reserves of 260 billion barrels -- the world’s largest, the Wall Street Journal reported this week.