Reuters reported that a JV between Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Aramco has received the Saudi government's approval to conduct an appraisal plan for Kidan field. The field is located in Saudi Arabia's Empty Quarter.

As per report, Kidan which contains sour gas is near the 750,000 barrels per day Shaybah oilfield, one of the biggest fields in the world's top oil exporter.

The venture, South Rub al Khali Company said that it will be drilling up to three appraisal wells and conducting extensive studies adding that it would complete the appraisal of Kidan by end 2013.

The firm said that last year it begun a second phase of planned gas exploration, during which it plans to drill three wells in the Rub Al Khali area.

(Sourced from Reuters)