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
Oil & Gas $100 a barrel oil raises global inflation fears Oil has risen to its highest level since November, reigniting fears over inflationary pressures on the global economy as it approaches $100 a barrel. Brent crude hit $95 barrel this week, before reducing gains, as the extension of Opec+ supply cuts tightened the markets. In a sign of a massive uptick in the energy markets, […] September 20, 2023
Energy Kenya extends oil supply deal with three Gulf companies Kenya has extended an oil supply deal with three Gulf-based companies, which is designed to manage demand for dollars, the energy regulator said on Tuesday. The East African nation entered the deal with Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) in March, switching from an open tender system […] September 20, 2023
Opinion Energy Mena stands at a crossroads for energy security Overreliance on fossil fuels has prevented the region from reaching its potential September 18, 2023
Opinion Oil & Gas Peak oil by 2030? It’s possible, but we won’t know until much later The International Energy Agency's forecast sparked a strong reaction, but oil, gas and coal are in very different places September 18, 2023
Energy Aramco buys Chile’s Esmak to expand global presence Saudi Aramco has agreed to purchase a 100 percent equity stake in Chile’s Esmax Distribución SpA (Esmax) from Southern Cross Group, the Latin America-focused private equity company. The transaction is subject to certain customary conditions, including regulatory approvals, the Saudi-listed oil major said in a statement. Esmax, a diversified downstream fuels and lubricants retailer in […] September 17, 2023
Energy Iraq and Turkey oil pipeline to resume operations soon Iraq’s northern oil export route through Turkey will soon be ready to resume operation after checks on pipeline maintenance and repairs to flood damage, the Turkish energy minister said. A survey of the oil pipeline is complete and it will soon be “technically” ready for operation, Alparslan Bayraktar said. Turkey halted flows on Iraq’s northern […] September 17, 2023
