Middle East

Venezuela Rushes to Strengthen Iran Relationship as U.S. Sanctions Loom

Iran and Venezuela are trying to patch together an oil alliance that began to fray last year, according to six people familiar with the matter, after the South American country fell behind on oil swaps that had boosted crude exports and helped stem domestic fuel shortages.

Turkey Inks Oil and Gas Cooperation Pact with Somalia

Turkey signed an offshore oil and natural gas cooperation deal with Somalia on Thursday, the Turkish Energy Ministry said, further strengthening bilateral ties after agreeing a defense deal last month.

IEA Forecasts Well-Supplied Oil Market in 2024 Despite Demand Slowdown

The global oil market is relatively well supplied with demand growth slowing, while supply is increasing from the Americas, the head of the International Energy Agency's (IEA) oil markets and industry division told Reuters on Thursday.

Montfort in Talks to Sell UAE Fuel Oil Facility to Sinopec

Geneva-based trading house Montfort Group is in discussion to sell part or all of its refining facility in the United Arab Emirates to the fuel oil arm of Chinese state giant Sinopec Corp., at least five industry sources told Reuters.

Temasek Shortlists Saudi Aramco, Shell for Pavilion Energy Asset Sale

Singapore's Temasek Holdings has shortlisted energy giants Shell and Saudi Aramco among a handful of companies to purchase most of the assets of LNG trading firm Pavilion Energy, sources with knowledge of the matter said.

Projects March 2024

FERC approves MVP’s Southgate gas pipeline extension; Regulator clears Trans Mountain, completion back on; Santos’ subsea pipeline clears construction hurdle; and more!

Global News March 2024

Latest industry developments from around the world!

ADNOC Completes Acquisition of 24.9% Stake in Austria's OMV

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said on Thursday it formally closed the acquisition of a 24.9% stake in Austria's Austrian oil and gas group OMV from Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala Investment Company.

Saipem Expects 20% Drop in Aramco Orders Following Capacity Target Cut

Italian energy contractor Saipem's CEO said on Thursday it expects a 20% drop in average annual orders from Saudi Aramco to 2027 as a result of the state oil company's decision to drop its capacity expansion plans.

BP to Invest $1.5 Billion in Egypt Gas Projects, Forms Joint Venture with ADNOC

BP is preparing to invest about $1.5 billion to develop gas projects and drilling in Egypt over the next three to four years, the company said on Wednesday.

Qatar's LNG Expansion Plans Set to Squeeze Out U.S., Rivals

Qatar's planned expansion of LNG production could see it control nearly 25% share of the global market by 2030 and squeeze out rival projects including in the United States where President Biden paused new export approvals, market experts said.

Qatar Expands Gas Output Amid Plummeting Global Prices

Qatar will further raise gas production despite a steep drop in global gas prices, pushing ahead with plans to extract more of the resource amidst fierce competition with rivals such as the United States.

ADNOC Executive Emphasizes Gas-Centric Strategy, Eyes Egypt Market Potential

A top executive of state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) on Monday said the company's strategy was anchored around gas output and that Egypt has been identified as a market with a lot of potential.

Shell Forecasts 50% Surge in Global LNG Demand by 2040

Global demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) is estimated to rise by more than 50% by 2040, as China and countries in South and Southeast Asia use LNG to support their economic growth, Shell said on Wednesday.

Caspian Pipeline Consortium Sees 7% Increase in Oil Exports Year-on-Year in January

The Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) increased crude oil exports by 7% in January from the same month a year ago to 6.116 million metric tons (1.55 million barrels per day), industry sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

Iran's Main Gas Pipeline Hit by Sabotage, Oil Minister Says

Two explosions along Iran's main south-north gas pipeline network on Wednesday were caused by sabotage, the Iranian oil minister told state TV, without naming any suspects.

Saudi Aramco Begins Trading U.S. Crude to Influence Brent Oil Benchmark

Saudi Aramco initiates trading of U.S. crude, impacting the Brent oil benchmark and reflecting market shifts.

Saudi Arabia Attributes Oil Capacity U-turn to Energy Transition, Ensures Ample Spare Capacity

Saudi Arabia's U-turn on its oil capacity expansion plans was because of the energy transition, its energy minister said on Monday, adding that the kingdom has plenty of spare capacity to cushion the oil market.

Petrobras Explores LNG Projects with Qatar, CEO Says

Brazil's state-run Petrobras is in talks with other national oil companies in China, India and the Middle East, including Kuwait Petroleum and Qatar Energy, to collaborate on energy projects, its chief executive said on Wednesday.

Saudi Aramco Explores Investment Opportunities with Indian Firms

State oil giant Saudi Aramco is in investment discussions with companies in India, a senior executive said on Wednesday.

Brent, U.S. Crude Futures Give Up Some Gains on Talk of Gaza Ceasefire

Brent and U.S. crude futures initially climbed over $1 a barrel on Tuesday after the U.S. Energy Department said crude oil production would grow less than forecast but then gave up some of the gains on talk of a possible lengthy cease-fire in the Gaza War.

Saudi Arabia Keeps Arab Light Crude Price to Asia Unchanged in Surprise Move

Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia unexpectedly kept March price of its flagship Arab Light crude to Asia unchanged at a more than two-year low, an Aramco statement showed on Tuesday, as the OPEC leader strives to maintain its market share.

QatarEnergy and Petronet LNG Sign 20-Year LNG Deal

The deal will see Qatar supply 7.5 million metric tons per year of LNG to Petronet LNG on a delivered ex-ship basis (DES) from 2028 to 2048, according to a Petronet LNG statement.

Kazakhstan Doubles Amount of Oil Circumventing Russia

Kazakhstan almost doubled oil exports circumventing Russia's ports in 2023 to 3.73 million metric tons (74,600 barrels per day) from 1.91 million tons in 2022, according to industry sources and Reuters calculations.

Guest Perspective: Aramco’s Best of Both Worlds

Saudi Aramco’s energy strategy should teach The West a lesson: invest in hydrocarbons now. Not only is oil and gas crucial for near- and medium-term energy security and affordability, but there is also a huge amount of money to be made that can be put toward the transition.

Projects February 2024

East African Crude Pipeline delivers first shipment; Pembina acquires Enbridge’s stake in Alliance Pipeline; KM boosts Permian Highway pipeline capacity by 550 MMcf/d; and more!

QatarEnergy Signs 10-Year Condensate Supply Deal with Japan's Mitsui

QatarEnergy has signed a deal to supply Japan's Mitsui & Co. with 11 million barrels of condensate per year for 10 years starting in April, Qatar's state-owned energy company said on Sunday.

Global News February 2024

Latest industry developments from around the world!

Saudi Aramco's Capacity Cut and Pipeline Incident Trigger 11% Drop in Saipem Shares

Shares in Italian energy contractor Saipem plunged by 11% on Tuesday after damage caused by an incident involving one of its pipe-laying vessels and a decision by Saudi Aramco to drop its oil capacity expansion plans.

ADNOC Gas Inks 10-Year LNG Supply Deal with India's GAIL

ADNOC Gas on Tuesday signed a 10-year agreement to supply 0.5 million metric tons per year of LNG to India's largest natural gas company GAIL.