The new state-of-the-art centre, to be known as the Schlumberger Dhahran Carbonate Research (SDCR), houses a team of international scientists working on oil and gas industry research projects in collaboration with other research institutes, both in the Kingdom and worldwide.

Activities will emphasise the carbonate reservoirs of the Middle East but are expected to have worldwide application, according to a news report.
“We believe the combination of Saudi Arabia’s leading human and natural resources and our own expertise will allow this new centre to develop ground-breaking technologies that will maximise both oil and gas resources in the region and the contribution the exploration and production industry makes to the global economy,” said Schlumberger chairman and CEO Andrew Gould.
SDCR is the first research centre to open on the King Abdullah Science Park at the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM).
It has been built to promote future technology development through closer interaction between research scientists from Schlumberger, experts from KFUPM, Saudi Aramco, and the King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) as well as other regional oil companies and institutions.
The inauguration took place under the patronage of the Saudi Arabia’s Higher Education Minister Dr Khalid Al Angari and Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Ali Al Naimi.
King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals director Dr Khalid Al Sultan and Saudi Aramco President and CEO Abdallah S Jum’ah officiated at the opening ceremony.
More than 300 oil and gas industry, government and academic institution representatives attended the opening that featured presentations of the research center’s projects, as well as displays of current Schlumberger technologies.
A one-day Reservoir Optimisation Conference that included a number of joint Schlumberger/Saudi Aramco workshops followed the official opening.
In recognising the location, KFUPM director Dr Khalid Al Sultan said, “This research centre is a pure example of universities’ persistence to create technical alliances with major technology companies such as Schlumberger.”
SDCR is the first of its kind in the Middle East and Africa.
The decision to locate it in Saudi Arabia was based on Saudi Arabia’s dominant position in oil and gas reserves and production capacity, as well as on the availability of experts and scientists capable of working on projects designed to facilitate focused technological solutions.