Energy Adnoc doubles carbon capture target to 10m tonnes Adnoc, the UAE’s biggest oil producer, plans to capture 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually by 2030, up from a previous target of 5 million tonnes. The announcement was made on Sunday, ahead of Adnoc hosting its main annual oil conference, Adipec, this week as the country prepares to host the UN Cop28 […] October 2, 2023
Adipec Renewable Energy Al Jaber tells energy industry to defy climate sceptics Cop28 president designate Sultan Al Jaber has called on the oil and gas industry to “silence the sceptics” and play a pivotal role in the race towards net zero and the fight against climate change. Al Jaber is also minister of industry and advanced technology of the UAE and managing director and group CEO of […] October 2, 2023
Adipec Oil & Gas Iraq’s much-delayed new oil law aims to boost coffers Iraq’s passing of a long-awaited oil and gas law is expected to help the country attract more international investments into the hydrocarbon industry and boost government revenues. The key innovation of the law is to allow foreign companies to have a share of oil output in Iraq, in partnership with the government, and the transition […] October 2, 2023
Energy Turkey ramps up output at its largest Black Sea gas field Turkey has increased daily natural gas production in its offshore Sakarya gas field in the Black Sea to four million cubic meters (mcm), according to Melih Han Bilgin, CEO of Turkish Petroleum Corporation. The country has set a production target for the first phase of the field of 10 million cubic metres of natural gas […] October 2, 2023
Oil & Gas Cyprus and Chevron-led group extend gas field talks Cyprus and international energy companies led by Chevron have agreed to extend talks on how to develop its Aphrodite offshore gas field amid progress in negotiations, its energy minister said on Friday. “It is not a new negotiating round, it’s an extension, because there is progress in the conversation,” energy minister George Papanastasiou told Reuters, […] October 2, 2023
EXCLUSIVE REPORT Energy Download our exclusive insight report on energy The Middle East remains a global hydrocarbons powerhouse, but it is also ramping up renewables and decarbonising oil and gas. In this special report, AGBI spotlights a bold new era for the region’s energy sector. With Adipec, the world’s largest energy industry event in the UAE, taking place this week, readers will learn what is […] October 1, 2023
Energy Opec+ unlikely to tweak oil policy in October meeting Opec+ is unlikely to tweak its current oil output policy when a panel meets next Wednesday, four Opec+ sources told Reuters, as tighter supplies and rising demand drive an oil price rally. Ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and allies led by Russia, known as Opec+, meet on October 4. The […] October 1, 2023
Oil & Gas Aramco invests $500m in LNG business MidOcean Saudi Arabia’s Aramco has made its first investment in the international liquefied natural gas (LNG) market with a $500 million investment in MidOcean Energy. The Saudi oil supermajor has acquired a minority stake in the company, which is the LNG unit of US-based energy investor EIG. The deal includes an option to increase the size […] September 28, 2023
Energy Afrexim taps traders for $3bn loan to Nigerian oil company African Export–Import Bank (Afrexim Bank) is tapping oil traders to finance a $3 billion loan to Nigeria’s state oil company that is central to the country’s efforts to support the naira, three sources told Reuters. The currency hit an all-time low of 1,000 to the dollar on the black market on Tuesday. Afrexim approached traders […] September 28, 2023
Energy Aramco in talks to buy 10% stake in Chinese refiner Saudi Aramco has started talks with China’s privately owned Jiangsu Eastern Shenghong Company to acquire a 10 percent equity stake in the Chinese firm’s refiner and petrochemical subsidiary. Under the cooperation framework agreement, the world’s largest oil producing company intends to supply Jiangsu Shenghong Petrochemical Industry Group with crude oil and potentially other feedstocks. Aramco and […] September 28, 2023
Analysis Oil & Gas Gulf invests in major oil refinery upgrade programme Gulf states are expanding their oil refining capacity through a series of massive upgrades, at the same time as they drive towards net zero and seek to move away from petroleum and natural gas. The apparent contradiction is, however, only apparent. From Az-Zour in Kuwait to Duqm in Oman, the refinery upgrades are central to […] September 28, 2023
Oil & Gas Egypt opens bidding for new oil and gas exploration The Oil Ministry of Egypt on Monday launched an international bidding round for exploration in 23 blocks by oil and gas companies. Of the blocks on offer, 10 are in the Western Desert, seven in the Gulf of Suez, four in the Red Sea, and two in the Eastern Desert. The tenders are part of […] September 26, 2023
Analysis Sustainability Majority of Mena countries lack net zero target, IEA warns Just six out of 17 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) have set a target for reaching net zero carbon emissions, hampering global efforts to tackle climate change, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA has published a detailed update to its net zero roadmap of 2021. In the report, […] September 26, 2023
Economy Oman GDP falls after slowdown in oil activities Oman’s GDP recorded a fall of 9.5 percent in the second quarter of this year, largely as a result of a slowdown in oil-related activities. The sultanate’s GDP was OMR10.1 billion ($26.24 billion) in the second quarter, compared with OMR11.1 billion for the same period last year, according to the National Center for Statistics and […] September 25, 2023
Energy Funding secured for Adnoc’s $2.2bn water supply project Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (Taqa) have completed the financial closing of a AED8.3 billion ($2.2 billion) project to provide a sustainable water supply for Adnoc’s onshore operations. The investment by the two Abu Dhabi energy majors aims to develop and operate facilities to sustainably treat and supply […] September 25, 2023
Retail Adnoc to expand its branded service stations across Egypt Adnoc Distribution, a subsidiary of state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, plans to open six new service stations in Egypt by the end of the year. The UAE company announced the opening of three Adnoc branded service stations on Saturday after acquiring a 50 percent stake in TotalEnergies Marketing Egypt earlier this year. The newly opened […] September 25, 2023
Analysis Economy Saudi economy slips as government pushes oil cuts Analysts see the Saudi economy contracting in 2023 as a result of voluntary oil production cuts. Higher prices, however, will still ensure that state coffers are full enough to meet the kingdom’s number one priority – funding its mammoth Vision 2030 diversification projects. The International Monetary Fund said this month it saw a slowdown in […] September 22, 2023
Energy Oil firms cautious on drilling as energy transition looms Government policies to fight climate change are discouraging oil companies from investing heavily in new production even as they turn in record profits. It is a dynamic that could spell tight supply and high prices as clean energy alternatives seek to fill the void. Crude oil prices have surged above $90 a barrel and some […] September 22, 2023
Analysis Markets Strong demand for Oman’s biggest IPO in two decades Oman’s joint-biggest initial public offering is attracting huge interest among retail investors, despite subdued recent activity on Muscat’s bourse, a senior financial industry executive told AGBI. OQ Gas Network (OQGN), a subsidiary of national oil company OQ, will sell 49 percent – or 2.12 billion – of its shares in an IPO. The company this […] September 22, 2023
Oil & Gas Fossil fuel phase-down ‘inevitable’ says Al Jaber Cop28 president-designate Sultan Al Jaber this week implored world leaders to cut reliance on fossil fuels to meet carbon reduction targets. Addressing the UN Climate Ambition Summit in New York, Al Jaber – who is also group chief executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company – urged nations to fast track the transition to a […] September 21, 2023
Finance PIF-backed Ades Holding’s order book hits $76bn Saudi oil and gas driller Ades Holding set the final price for its initial public offering (IPO) at the top-end at SAR 13.50, implying a valuation of SAR 15.242 billion ($4.06 billion). The institutional book-building process was 62.7 times oversubscribed, while the order book stood at SAR 286.853 billion ($76.49 billion). The Public Investment Fund-backed […] September 21, 2023
Energy Saudi exports to China slip on Russia’s discounted oil Russia maintained its spot as China’s top crude oil supplier in August, Chinese government data showed on Wednesday, even as discounts on Russian crude continued to narrow and Moscow cut exports. China’s imports from Russia – including supplies via pipelines and seaborne shipments – jumped 26 percent from August last year to 10.54 million metric […] September 21, 2023
