Saudi Aramco Lambert coordinate system (EPSG:2329)
Feb 6,2026

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Introduction

Saudi Aramco Lambert coordinate system (EPSG:2329) is a regional projected coordinate system historically developed and utilized by the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) for its internal exploration, mapping, and engineering operations. This proprietary system, based on a modified regional datum, was established to meet the company's specific needs for geodetic control and mapping across its expansive operating areas in eastern Saudi Arabia. While modern global systems are now prevalent, understanding this legacy system remains crucial for interpreting and integrating a vast archive of historical well data, seismic surveys, pipelines, and facility maps that form the foundation of Saudi Arabia's petroleum industry.

File Structure

Saudi Aramco Lambert (EPSG:2329) is implemented as a Lambert Conic Conformal projection with a single standard parallel, tied to a bespoke geodetic datum developed by the company. The system’s parameters are designed for high relative accuracy within the company’s concession areas rather than for global consistency.

Geodetic Datum:
Based on the historically defined "Ain el Abd 1970" datum (EPSG:4204), which uses the International 1924 (Hayford 1909) ellipsoid. This datum was regionally oriented and is not directly compatible with modern, globally centered datums like WGS84.

Map Projection:
Lambert Conic Conformal (1SP) projection with the following key parameters:

Latitude of Origin: 24° 00' 00" North
Central Meridian: 44° 00' 00" East
Scale Factor at Origin: 1.0
False Easting: 500,000 meters
False Northing: 0 meters

Coordinate Format:
Coordinates are expressed in meters as easting (X) and northing (Y) values.

Reference Ellipsoid:
International 1924 ellipsoid.

Pros

Regional Optimization for Operations: Specifically tailored for Saudi Aramco’s core operational areas, providing excellent angular conformity and scale consistency across the oil-rich regions of Eastern Saudi Arabia.
Legacy Data Consistency: Serves as the foundational reference for millions of data points in the company's historical archives, including legacy well locations, seismic lines, and facility drawings, ensuring their internal spatial consistency.
High Internal Precision: Within its defined scope, it offers high relative positional accuracy, which was critical for engineering and surveying tasks related to drilling and infrastructure development.
Standardization for Internal Workflows: Established a single, authoritative coordinate framework across diverse company departments (exploration, drilling, pipelines), streamlining internal data exchange for decades.

Cons

Limited Global Compatibility: Based on an old, regionally-defined datum and ellipsoid, creating significant coordinate shifts (often hundreds of meters) when compared to modern global systems like WGS84 or the Saudi National Spatial Reference System (SANSRS).
Datum Transformation Complexity: Converting coordinates to/from modern systems requires a precise, multi-parameter datum transformation, which can introduce uncertainty if not correctly applied.
Territorially Restricted: Its utility is confined to historical Saudi Aramco operating areas and is not suitable for national mapping or integration with other contemporary Saudi datasets.
Obsolescence: As a legacy, proprietary system, it is no longer used for new projects, creating a "two-system" challenge where historical data must be carefully transformed for use in modern GIS and engineering environments.

Application Scenario

The Saudi Aramco Lambert system is exclusively applied to the management, interpretation, and conversion of Saudi Aramco's immense historical geospatial data archive.