Logistics Jet fuel most exposed to Red Sea closure, analysts say Trade analysts warned on Monday that jet fuel is the commodity most exposed to an interruption of trade in the Red Sea, as the world’s main shipping companies said that they would avoid the waterway because of missile and drone attacks. Several container shipping lines, including CMA CGM of France, MSC of Switzerland and A.P. […] December 18, 2023
Opinion Sustainability Moving mountains to lead in global carbon capture race Oman and the UAE may hold the key to CO2 capture December 15, 2023
Video length: 04:21 Oil & Gas ‘Oil will still be needed’ – producers react to Cop28 Saudi Arabia’s energy minister said the final Cop28 deal would not affect the kingdom’s oil and gas exports, as the fossil fuels sector reacted to being included in the climate change conference’s final wording for the first time in its three-decade history. “The text provides alternatives. But I think these texts do not affect our […] December 14, 2023
Video length: 04:21 Analysis Sustainability Wary optimism for Cop deal to ‘set world in right direction’ Cop28 left behind an air of mixed emotions as it wrapped up on Wednesday, reflecting the complexity of the discussions and outcomes. A visibly jubilant Sultan Al Jaber strolled into the plenary, sharing a warm hug with UN climate chief Simon Stiell, basking in the applause as they marked a “historic” milestone: the first time […] December 13, 2023
Oil & Gas Saudi Aramco acquires 40% stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan Saudi Aramco will acquire a 40 percent equity stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd. (GO), a privately-owned fuels, lubricants and convenience stores operator, as part of its downstream expansion strategy. The acquisition mark’s the Saudi oil major’s entrance into the Pakistani retail fuels market. Aramco will now be able to secure new outlets for […] December 13, 2023
Sustainability Cop28 denies ‘favouritism’ in fossil fuel wording The UN climate talks in Dubai stretched past the Tuesday morning deadline set as tensions mounted over a deal that departed from committing to a phase-out of fossil fuels. The latest draft of the global stocktake sparked fury from climate activists and politicians last night. Majid Al Suwaidi, director-general of Cop28, told a press conference […] December 12, 2023
Sustainability Western Australia looks to Gulf for green deals The state of Western Australia – the heart of the country’s mining, steel and oil and gas industries – is planning partnerships with Arab nations to develop its renewables sector and curb emissions. “We’ve got a dual mission,” Reece Whitby, Western Australia’s minister for environment and climate action, told AGBI during Cop28 in Dubai. “We’ve […] December 12, 2023
Oil & Gas Fitch predicts strong growth for Mena oil producers in 2024 Oil exporting countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region will register stronger growth in 2024, supported by the momentum in non-oil real GDP and stabilising oil production following output cuts in 2023, Fitch Ratings said. Brent crude oil is expected to average $80 per barrel with robust oil prices likely to support […] December 12, 2023
Opinion Sustainability Semantic suggestions to break the Cop28 impasse Words matter if the final text is to gain endorsement from all December 11, 2023
Energy Al Jaber calls for ‘flexibility’ on fossil fuel phase-out deal Cop28 president Sultan Al Jaber has urged delegates to set aside their differences to achieve a deal to phase out fossil fuels. “I need you to step up, and I need you to come out of your comfort zones. And I kindly ask you all to be flexible and to truly and genuinely engage in […] December 10, 2023
Oil & Gas UAE softens on fossil fuel wording, observers say The UAE, one of the world’s largest oil producers, is considering supporting an unprecedented agreement towards ‘phasing out’ fossil fuels, observers have told AGBI. Some suggest the parties may agree to a phase-out in easier-to-abate sectors such as power generation, where reducing greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved with existing renewable technologies like solar or […] December 9, 2023
Oil & Gas Europe stands firm on fossil fuel phase-out deal at Cop28 The European Parliament is heading into the final days of negotiation at the Cop28 climate summit in Dubai with a clear mission to see the absolute end of fossil fuels. At a press conference on Friday, European Parliament member Peter Liese told journalists that the delegation is demanding the “tangible phase out of fossil fuels” […] December 8, 2023
Opinion Oil & Gas Oil’s inverse correlation to the dollar could return If Saudi Arabia unilaterally raises oil production, all bets are off December 7, 2023
Oil & Gas Libyan Oil Company commits to cut gas flaring The Libyan National Oil Company is joining the wider global oil and gas industry in committing to near-zero gas flaring by 2030, as part of wider efforts by the state-owned energy producer to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. LNOC chairman Farhat Bengdara said in an interview with AGBI at the UN Cop28 climate conference in Dubai […] December 7, 2023
Video length: 06:23 EXCLUSIVE Banking and Finance Mashreq will ‘follow science’ for fossil fuel fund phase-out The UAE’s Mashreq Bank will “follow the science” when it comes to phasing out funding for fossil fuel companies, according to a senior executive. Mashreq is one of the top contributors to the UAE Banks Federation’s AED1 trillion ($272 billion) pledge to boost their green financing. The bank has committed to facilitating AED110 billion in […] December 6, 2023
Oil & Gas Russia says Opec+ ‘ready’ to hike oil output cuts in 2024 Opec+ members may increase oil production cuts in the first quarter of 2024 to remove “profiteering and restrict volatility”, according to Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak. The decision by Opec+ to lower oil production by 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the first quarter of 2024 will help the world to navigate through […] December 6, 2023
Video length: 05:05 VIDEO Renewable Energy Gulf’s biggest asset is ‘sun in the sky’ – not its oil reserves The Middle East could become a powerhouse of green industrialisation by exploiting its vast renewable energy sources, the chair of the Energy Transitions Commission has told AGBI at the Cop28 summit in Dubai. “Your long-term asset in this region is not the oil under the ground, it’s the sun in the sky,” said Adair Turner, […] December 6, 2023
Energy Vladimir Putin to visit UAE and Saudi Arabia this week Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit the UAE and Saudi Arabia this week, Russian news outlet Shot reported on Monday, citing Putin’s aide Yury Ushakov. The reported visit comes after the Opec+ group of oil producers, which includes all three countries, agreed last Thursday to voluntary output cuts totalling about 2.2 million barrels a day […] December 5, 2023
Energy Al Jaber promises Cop28 is focused on ‘the science’ Dr Sultan Al Jaber defended his work as president of Cop28 on Monday, after criticism of remarks he made about climate science. “Everything this presidency has been working on, and continues to work on, is focused and centred around the science,” he told reporters in a press briefing at the UN summit. The Guardian newspaper […] December 4, 2023
Opinion Oil & Gas Opec+ cuts leave oil markets dazed and confused The strange case of Brent crude price falling after a headline 2.2m reduction December 4, 2023
Energy No transition without fossil fuels, says GCC energy chief As Cop28 negotiators tussle over the future of fossil fuels, a senior GCC official has suggested there will be no energy transition without them. Dr Mohammed Al Rashidi, director of energy and economic affairs at the GCC’s general secretariat, told AGBI at the climate summit: “If fossil fuels were gone from tomorrow, everything would shut […] December 4, 2023
Exclusive Energy Shift fossil fuel subsidies to renewables, says lobby chief Ramping up renewables while increasing oil output “sends the wrong signal” and is not the best way to tackle climate change, says the chief executive of Global Renewables Alliance, a policy group representing the clean energy industry. “Yes, the two can be done in parallel,” Bruce Douglas told AGBI at Cop28 in Dubai. “But we […] December 4, 2023