Saudi Arabia is looking to invest in US shale production companies and assets, and has held talks with a Houston-based liquefied natural gas (LNG) developer.

The country’s national oil company, Saudi Aramco, has talked to US LNG developer Tellurian about acquiring a stake in the firm, as well as holding discussions with other energy companies and inquiring about acquiring unconventional assets in the Permian and Eagle Ford basins, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited anonymous sources.

If Aramco does acquire a stake in a US shale company, it will be its first ever international oil and gas production investment.

Aramco owns downstream facilities around the world, including in the US, but it does not produce any hydrocarbons outside Saudi Arabia.

Other oil and gas-reliant countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region are also trying to form stronger ties to US companies producing unconventional hydrocarbons.

Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund (SWF), Mubadala, made a private equity investment in US shale, while Algeria is trying to entice more companies with shale experience to operate in the country by amending its hydrocarbons legislation.

Saudi Arabia has other options for securing supplies of foreign gas. In early December, Russia's President Vladimir Putin said his country is ready to sell gas to Saudi Arabia, in a growing sign of cooperation between the two countries.

“Buy our gas and you’ll save oil,” Putin was quoted by the media as telling Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih at the launch ceremony of the first loading of LNG at the Novatek-led Yamal LNG project in Russia’s Arctic port of Sabetta.

Leonid Mikhelson, ranked Russia’s richest businessman and head of Novatek, which has a 50.1 per cent stake in Yamal LNG, was reported as saying he discussed gas projects with Saudi officials. However, he refused to divulge details on the talks.