The General Authority for Statistics uses a unified working methodology that is consistent with the nature of each statistical product in all of its statistical work. As a result, it is dependent on the Manual of Statistical Proceedings in accordance with the international organizations' established working procedures. The statistical product has eight basic phases, plus a ninth phase known as "Comprehensive Management," as shown in the following illustrations and explanations:

The first three phases (Scope, Design and Organization) are cooperative ones; conducted by GASTAT jointly with the developmental bodies benefiting from its data. Likewise, the fourth phase (Data Collection) is a cooperative stage conducted by the Authority jointly with the statistical population (households or establishments) to get the data and information. The following three phases (Tabulation, Revision and Publication) are purely statistical ones, undertaken by the Authority. Then, the eighth phase (Evaluation) is conducted jointly with the beneficiaries. ‘Management’ is an organizational and managerial phase running throughout all previous phases. Those phases have been applied to the Oil & Gas Statistics as follows:

It is the starting point for the production of the Oil and Gas Statistics Publication, and is and is the initial step of collaboration between the General Authority for Statistics and its partners from the relevant government entities represented in: (Ministry of Energy), which was contacted as both the provider of data and the beneficiary, with the aim of understanding the needs, identifying the requirements, and taking their perspectives into account to ensure the achievement of all oil and gas statistics objectives, which are summarised as follows:

• Support of decision-makers, policy-makers, researchers and those interested in updated and comprehensive statistics related to energy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Create a database that can be used as a reliable basis to support those interested and specialized in the field of energy statistics.
• Use this data for local, regional and international comparison purposes.

It is during this phase that a complete design for the statistical product is set forth. During this phase, the data collection method and tools are identified. The beneficiaries are engaged in all these processes, and their feedback is taken into account, so that the product would live up to their expectations.

Key outputs of this phase are:

1. Statistics Sources:

The Oil and Gas Statistics Publication obtains  its data from two primary sources, allowing it to give complete data on energy statistics in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Statistics from the General Authority for Statistics (censuses) and from administrative records are provided by these two sources. Such data may be gathered on an annual and regular basis to be calculated and included by GASTAT in the Oil and Gas Statistics Publication.

The Ministry of Energy is the main source of data for the Oil and Gas Statistics Publication. The most prominent data is received from:

2. Terms and Concepts Related to Oil and Gas Statistics Publication:

• Crude Oil: A mineral oil of fossil origin extracted by conventional means from underground reservoirs, and comprising liquid or near-liquid hydrocarbons and associated impurities such as sulphur and metals.
• Natural Gas: Natural gas comprises gases, occurring in underground deposits, whether liquefied or gaseous, consisting mainly of methane.
• Natural Gas Liquids (NGL): Liquid or liquefied hydrocarbons produced in the manufacture, purification and stabilization of natural gas. Natural gas liquids include ethane, propane, and butane.
• Liquefied Petroleum Gases (LPG): LPG refers to liquefied propane (C3H8) and butane (C4H10) or mixtures of both.
• Gasolines: Complex mixtures of volatile hydrocarbons distilling between approximately 25°C and 220°C and consisting of compounds in the C4 to C12 range.
• Kerosene and Jet Fuel: Mixtures of hydrocarbons in the range C9 to C16 and distilling over the temperature interval 145°C to 300°C, but not usually above 250°C and with a flash point above 38°C. 
• Naphtha: Light or medium oils distilling between 30°C and 210°C that do not meet the specification  for motor gasoline.
• Gas Oil/Diesel Oil: Gas oils are middle distillates, predominantly of carbon number range C11 to C25 and with a distillation range of 160°C to 420°C.
•  Fuel Oil: Comprises residual fuel oil and heavy fuel oil. Residual fuel oils have a distillation range of  350°C to 650°C and a kinematic viscosity in the range 6 to 55 cSt at 100°C.

3. Indicators:

Some of the most prominent indicators in the Oil and Gas Statistics Publication are:

4. Adopted statistical classifications:

 Classification of data and information allows for placing them into meaningful categories to produce useful statistics, considering that data collection requires precise and methodological arrangement in accordance with their common features so that the statistics can be reliable and comparable. The Oil and Gas Statistics Publication is subject to international standards in terms of collecting and classifying its data as it uses the following classification:

 Standard International Energy Product Classification (SIEC):

It is a classification that ranks energy products according to a statistical classification. The main purpose of SIEC is to serve as a basis for developing or revising national classification schemes for energy products so as to make them compatible with international standards and, consequently, to ensure significantly improved cross-country comparability of energy data.

SIEC is intended to be a multipurpose classification, meaning that individual SIEC products and aggregates are defined to be suitable for the production of energy statistics under different country circumstances and are relevant for the presentation and analysis of energy data in various policy and analytical contexts.

5. Coverage:

 Spatial Coverage:

The Oil and Gas Statistics Publication covers energy data at the level of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, according to data available from its official sources.

Temporal Coverage:

 The data of the Petroleum and Gas Statistics Publication data in this version are in time series spanning between 2010-2021.

It is the final preparation phase. In this phase, the required workflow procedures are established for preparing the Oil and Gas Statistics Publication, starting with the next “Collection Phase” and ending with the “Evaluation Phase”, and the organization and grouping of those procedures. The optimal sequence of those procedures is chosen to arrive to a methodology that achieves the objectives of the Oil and Gas Statistics Publication. Those procedures were also described and documented to facilitate any updates in future iterations. The statistical workflow procedures were tested and examined to ensure their compliance with the requirements of preparing the Oil and Gas Statistics Publication in its final form, approve the procedures of statistical workflow, and develop a roadmap for implementation.

GASTAT has collaborated with the relevant government bodies to obtain data on oil and gas statistics from administrative records available at those bodies via formal communication to the data owners. The data is sent via e-mail and various means of transfer. The data is then uploaded and maintained on GASTAT databases in order to prepare for inspection and review in accordance with scientific statistical approach and recognized quality standards. The data owner is referred to if any observations are detected. The Department of Energy Statistics has also worked with GASTAT's relevant departments to provide them with data from surveys and censuses that meet the needs of oil and gas statistics.

The data tabulation of the Saudi Oil and Gas Statistics Publication was based on the classification used in the International Recommendations for Energy Statistics (IRES).

During this phase, the Department of Energy Statistics specialists performed data processing and analysis based on the following procedures:

•  Sorting and arranging data in sequence or in different sets or categories.

•  Summarizing detailed data into key points or data.

•  Combining many data segments and ensuring their interconnection.

•  Processing missing or incomplete data.

•  Processing illogical data.

•  Converting data into statistically significant data.

•  Organizing, presenting, and interpreting data.

Data are presented in proper tables so that they may be simply summarised, understood, comprehended, and extracted, as well as compared to other data and statistical significances regarding the selected statistical community. Furthermore, such data may be conveniently accessed in the form of tables.

First: Data Output Validation:

Following the processing and verification of the data obtained in the Fourth Phase, GASTAT performed calculations and result extraction, uploaded the outputs, and stored them on the database. Final audits were performed by Department of Energy Statistics specialists utilising contemporary and software techniques suited for review and audit purposes.

Second: Dealing with Confidential Data:

According to Royal Decree No. 23 dated 07/12/1397, data must always be kept confidential, and must be used by GASTAT for statistical purposes only. Therefore, the data are protected in the data servers of GASTAT.

First: Preparing and Processing Results Designed for Dissemination:

In this phase, GASTAT coordinated, organized and reviewed the data results of the Publication. Next, it prepared tables and charts of data and indicators, and added the metadata and methodology in both English and Arabic.

Second: Preparing Media Materials and Announcing the Publication Date:

GASTAT already announced the Publication date on its official website at the beginning of the year. In this phase, GASTAT prepares media materials to announce the Publication release on various platforms, including social media. GASTAT then releases the Publication on the defined date first on its website using different formats, such as open data in Excel files,  

to ensure easy dissemination and access for all clients and anyone interested in energy statistics. The Publication is also uploaded to the website’s statistics library. 

Third: Communicating with Clients and Providing them with the Publication:

GASTAT believes in the importance of communicating with the clients who use its data. Therefore, once the Oil and Gas Statistics Publication is released, GASTAT communicates with the clients and provide them with the Publication. GASTAT receives the questions and enquiries of the clients about the Publication and its results through the following channels:     

• GASTAT official website:  www.stats.gov.sa 
• GASTAT official email: info@stats.gov.sa
• Client support email: cs@stats.gov.sa
• Official visit to GASTAT headquarter in Riyadh or one of its branches in KSA regions.
• Official letters.
• Statistical help line: (920020081).

After the Publication is released and received by all GASTAT’s clients, the clients are contacted again in this phase which allows for evaluating the whole statistical process that was carried out, with the aim of constant improvement to obtain high-quality data. Proposed improvements may include methodologies, processes, systems, statisticians’ skills and statistical frameworks. This phase is done in collaboration with data users and GASTAT’s clients through a number of steps:

First: Collecting measurable evaluation inputs:

In this step, the most important comments and notes of all phases are collected and documented from their sources, for example notes written by specialists responsible for reviewing, auditing and analyzing data collected from administrative records. Comments and notes provided by data users after publishing the data are collected and documented. Feedback taken from various mass media as well as clients’ comments sent to GASTAT main channels are also considered.

Second: Evaluation:

Collected evaluation inputs are analyzed, and the results of this analysis are compared with pre-anticipated results. Accordingly, potential improvements and solutions are identified and discussed with specialists and experts; and concerned parties are duly involved. In this phase, the performance and satisfaction of clients’ use of the results of the Saudi Oil and Gas Statistics Publication are measured. Based on that, recommendations are developed to enhance the quality of the results of the next Saudi oil and gas statistics publications.

It is a comprehensive phase applies to each phase of the oil and gas statistics production. During this phase, the plan of production is developed, which includes the feasibility study, risk management, financing methods, in addition to publication spending mechanisms. The plan also covers the development of performance indicators, quality standards and workforce map required for production. The tasks assigned to different departments at each phase will be monitored and reported to ensure that GASTAT meets its obligations towards its clients.