Oil & Gas Algeria sets $7bn investment target for refinery projects Algeria has reportedly launched new petrochemical and refining projects worth $7 billion, part of its drive to diversify its state revenue sources and tackle a persistent budget deficit. Mohamed Arkab, the Algerian energy minister, revealed the projects during a parliament policy session on Thursday, local press reported on Friday. The projects in north and east […] June 13, 2025
Oil & Gas Strong Chinese demand keeps Iranian oil flowing Iran’s refining facilities and oil storage did not sustain any damage from Israel’s strikes on Friday, according to the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company. Israel targeted its nuclear facilities, ballistic missile factories and military commanders at the start of what it warned would be a prolonged operation to prevent Tehran from building a […] June 13, 2025
Oil & Gas Aramco crude supply to China to dip in July Saudi Arabia’s crude oil supply to China is set to dip slightly in July, trade sources said on Tuesday. However, supply will remain strong for a third straight month as the kingdom regains its market share supplying the world’s top crude importer. State oil company Saudi Aramco will ship about 47 million barrels to China […] June 10, 2025
Oil & Gas Opec oil output misses May target, survey finds Opec oil output rose in May by less than the volume planned, a Reuters survey has found, as Iraq made further cuts to compensate for earlier pumping above target and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates made smaller hikes than allowed. Opec pumped 26.75 million barrels per day (bpd) last month, up 150,000 bpd […] June 9, 2025
Oil & Gas Saudi Arabia lowers July oil prices for Asia Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, on Wednesday lowered its July prices for Asian buyers after Opec+ hiked output for a fourth month. However, the price cut was smaller than expected. Saudi Aramco, the country’s state oil company, cut the official selling price for the flagship Arab light crude it sells to Asia for […] June 5, 2025
Opinion Oil & Gas Imagine Texas in Opec+ and you see Kazakhstan’s predicament In energy diplomacy, Astana wants to be a reliable partner to both East and West June 3, 2025
Oil & Gas Opec+ decided on July output hike to punish over-producers The world’s largest group of oil producers, Opec+, voted through another production increase of 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) for July in an attempt to wrestle back market share and punish over-producers. Having spent years curbing production – more than five million bpd or 5 percent of world demand – eight Opec+ countries agreed a modest output […] June 2, 2025
Oil & Gas Oil climbs 1% as US court blocks Trump’s tariffs Oil prices rose on Thursday after a US court blocked most of President Donald Trump’s tariffs from taking effect. Markets are also watching out for potential new US sanctions curbing Russian crude flows and an Opec+ decision on hiking output in July. Brent crude futures climbed 78 cents, or 1.2 percent, to $65.68 a barrel. US West […] May 29, 2025
Oil & Gas Saudi Arabia may cut Asia crude prices to 6-month lows Saudi Arabia may cut its crude prices for Asian buyers in July to the lowest in six months, refiners said, tracking losses in benchmark prices driven by rising supply from Opec+. The July official selling price (OSP) for flagship Arab Light crude may drop by 40 to 50 cents to between 90 cents and $1 […] May 28, 2025
Oil & Gas UAE warns Opec over AI-driven power demand The UAE is preparing for a sharp spike in domestic energy consumption as a wave of data centre construction drives up demand for power. Energy minister Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei has warned Opec and its oil-producing allies of potential pressure on future global supplies. His warning is at odds with other industry bodies, such as […] May 27, 2025
Oil & Gas Iraq’s ‘1.5 million barrels per day’ oil gap Iraq, often identified as a major quota violator in the Opec+ group, is pumping nearly 1.5 million barrels per day (bpd) below its production capacity, an oil official has said. The country has a sustainable output capacity of about 5.5 million bpd but actual crude production is close to 4 million bpd, according to Nizar […] May 27, 2025
Oil & Gas Russia says no talks yet of Opec+ output hikes from July Russian deputy prime minister Alexander Novak said on Monday that the Opec+ group of leading oil producers has not yet discussed increasing output by another 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) ahead of its meeting, RIA news agency reported. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, led by Russia, will hold an online […] May 27, 2025
Opinion Energy Gulf welcomes Trump’s hands-off approach to energy policy Trillions were pledged in AI and energy, but Opec stayed out of the spotlight May 22, 2025
Oil & Gas Qatar warns low oil price may hurt AI power needs Crude prices falling below $60 a barrel would have a detrimental effect on global oil sector investment, and on fast-growing, energy intensive industries such as data centres and artificial intelligence, Qatar’s energy minister has said. “If oil prices decline below $60, there is definitely going to be a decline in investments,” Saad Al-Kaabi said at an […] May 22, 2025
Oil & Gas Aramco profits down – and worse is to come, say analysts Saudi Aramco announced a drop in net income for the first three months of the year on Sunday, due to rising oil prices and higher operating costs. With state and state-affiliated institutions dependent on the national oil company dividends to fund numerous Vision 2030 infrastructure projects, the downturn throws Aramco’s investment plans into doubt. Oil […] May 12, 2025
Oil & Gas Aramco to post lower profit and may slash dividend National oil company Saudi Aramco is forecast to post lower first-quarter profit and may cut its 2025 dividend further as oil prices dip below its self-funding breakeven point, analysts have said. The world’s biggest oil company by production is likely to maintain its guidance for capital expenditure, however. Aramco is expected to post at least […] May 9, 2025
Oil & Gas Goldman Sachs expects oil at $60 after Opec+ decision Goldman Sachs reduced its oil price forecast following decisions by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, Opec+, to accelerate oil output increases, the bank said in a note on Sunday. Goldman now expects Brent crude to average $60 per barrel for the rest of 2025 and $56 per barrel in 2026, […] May 6, 2025
Opinion Oil & Gas Opec+ throws the car into reverse, but keeps its grip on the wheel It is a stretch to see how the current market can be regarded as anything but uncertain May 5, 2025
Oil & Gas Opec+ triples additional June barrels to deter quota-breaking Saudi Arabia and seven members of Opec+ will triple the volume of barrels they add to the market in June, as part of the kingdom’s new strategy to squeeze quota-busting members and boost market share, experts said. Saudi Arabia and seven other countries implementing voluntary cuts decided in an online May 3 meeting to add […] May 5, 2025
Oil & Gas Opec+ accelerates oil output hikes despite weak demand Opec+ has agreed to accelerate oil production hikes for a second consecutive month, raising output in June by 411,000 barrels per day (bpd), the group said on Saturday. This is despite falling prices and expectations of weaker demand. Following an online meeting lasting just over an hour, the producer group announced the supply increase, saying […] May 5, 2025
Oil & Gas Saudi Arabia signals it can live with lower oil prices Saudi Arabian officials are briefing allies and industry experts to say the kingdom is unwilling to prop up the oil market with further supply cuts and can handle a prolonged period of low prices, sources said. This possible shift in Saudi policy could suggest a move toward producing more and expanding its market share. This […] May 1, 2025
Economy Rising gas exports to boost Gulf economies, says IMF Increased natural gas production in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE and Oman will boost their economic growth in the medium term, the International Monetary Fund has predicted. Qatar, the world’s third-largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is due to nearly double its annual output to 142 million tonnes by 2030. Saudi Aramco said in March […] May 1, 2025