South Rub Al Khali Co. (Srak), a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and Royal Dutch Shell, has appointed Saleh Al-Dawas as its new chief executive officer, industry sources said. A company spokesman confirmed Al-Dawas took over as CEO on Aug. 1, replacing Kamal Al-Yahya who retired after working for the state oil giant for over 30 years. Srak is one of the four gas consortia Aramco set up from 2003-2004 to drill in the vast desert of southeast Saudi Arabia, known as the Empty Quarter. Srak has made discoveries in the empty quarter. In 2009, it said gas from two zones under exploration in the region flowed at a combined rate of 90 million cubic feet per day.
