Saudi Arabia Halts Red Sea Oil Exports after Tanker Attacks
Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it was suspending oil shipments through a strategic Red Sea lane after Yemen's Iran-aligned rebels attacked two tankers in the waterway, underscoring the risk of an escalation in tensions in the region.Brent crude futures rose 59 cents to $74.52 a barrel by 1008 GMT, extending their rally into a third day but falling from a 10-day high in earlier trading.Saudi Arabia and arch-foe Iran have been locked in a three-year proxy war in Yemen…
Bill Allowing US to Sue OPEC Drawing Renewed Interest
With oil prices hitting fresh four-year highs, long-dormant proposals to allow the United States to sue OPEC nations are getting a fresh look in Congress, though they were once considered a longshot to becoming law.A U.S. Senate subcommittee on Wednesday will hear testimony on the so-called No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act, or NOPEC, which would revoke the sovereign immunity that has long shielded OPEC members from U.S. legal action.The bill would change U.S.
Saudi Aramco: 2 mln bpd of Spare Capacity Exists
Oil giant Saudi Aramco has spare capacity of 2 million barrels per day (bpd) and can meet additional oil demand in case of any interruption in supplies, the company head said on Monday, days after OPEC agreed a modest increase in oil output from July. Aramco, the world's third-largest crude oil producer, is producing about 10 million bpd and has the capacity to produce 12 million bpd, Amin Nasser, the company's chief executive, said on the sidelines of a conference in New Delhi.
Preparations for Aramco IPO Listing Stalled - WSJ
Public listing preparations of state-run Saudi Aramco <IPO-ARMO.SE> have stalled, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. Aramco, the world's biggest oil producer, has been expanding its global footprint by signing downstream deals and boosting the capacity of its plants ahead of the eagerly awaited initial public offering. Aramco did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sibur Says New Gas Chemical Complex Will Cost up to $8 Bln
Russian petrochemical company Sibur said its plans to build a gas chemical complex in Russia's Far East will require preliminary investments of up to $8 billion and it is still looking for Asian partners.Sibur said a year ago that it had been in talks with a number of Chinese investors about participating in the project to build the complex in Amur.Sibur's Chief Executive Officer Dmitry Konov told Reuters in a recent interview…
Saudi Refinery Exports First Gasoline Barrels to U.S.
A refinery in Saudi Arabia has shipped its RBOB gasoline to the United States for the first time, a potential precursor for more deliveries to a region where prices are currently at seasonal three-year highs.The 400,000 barrels-per-day Jubail Satorp refinery, a joint venture between Saudi Aramco and French company Total, said in its verified Twitter account that it sent the shipment of reformulated blendstock gasoline - commonly called RBOB - to the United States.
Saudi Arabia Resumes Oil Exports through Red Sea Lane
Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it has resumed all oil shipments through the strategic Red Sea shipping lane of Bab al-Mandeb.Saudi Arabia halted temporarily oil shipments through the lane on July 25 after attacks on two oil tankers by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement.A statement by the Energy Ministry said shipments had resumed on Saturday."The decision to resume oil shipment through the strait of Bab…
Saudi Aramco, Petronas tap Banks for Jumbo Financing
Saudi Aramco and Malaysia's Petronas have approached banks to replace a short-term $8 billion loan raised earlier this year for a joint venture with long-term financing of approximately the same size, banking sources familiar with the matter said.The two state energy companies borrowed $8 billion from a large consortium of international banks in March for a refinery and petrochemical joint venture in the southern Malaysian state of Johor.The project…
Sparrows Group to Operate in Saudi Arabia
Global specialist equipment and integrated engineering services company, Sparrows Group, has made a significant development in Saudi Arabia after being granted commercial registration to operate in the Kingdom.The commercial registration allows Sparrows Saudi Arabia LLC, a newly established entity in Dammam, to deliver services related to the extraction of oil and natural gas and associated support activities.A locally established…
Saudi Aramco to Ink Deal to Make Onshore Oil Rigs, Equipment
Saudi Aramco signed a deal with National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NOV) to form a joint venture to make onshore rigs and equipment in Saudi Arabia, the state-owned Saudi energy firm said. Saudi Aramco will own 30 percent of the venture, while the rest will be owned by NOV, the statement said. Aramco, the world's biggest oil producing company which the Saudi government plans to list in the kingdom and abroad, has been seeking to expand its operations with new downstream and associated industry investments.
Cepsa Float Fail Could Jeopardize Other Energy Listings
The shelving of Spanish energy company Cepsa's initial public offering (IPO) may damage prospects for a string of oil-related companies planning to go public.Returning Cepsa to the Madrid stock exchange this week in a flotation valuing the firm at up to 8 billion euros ($9.3 billion) had been expected to test investor appetite for energy listings amid resurgent oil prices.But the company, owned by Abu Dhabi's Mubadala, postponed…
Cantium Contracts Rowan Jack-up
Rowan Companies plc announced that the Rowan EXL III, an EXL Class high specification jack-up rig, has been awarded a six-month contract from Cantium in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.The contract is expected to commence in early November 2018. The EXL III is currently under contract with Cantium in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico through mid to late August 2018. Rowan is a global provider of contract drilling services with a fleet of 27 mobile offshore drilling units…
Middle East Oil & Gas Shipping Routes are at Risk
Saudi Arabia said on Thursday it was suspending oil shipments through the Red Sea after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two crude tankers, underscoring risks caused by the conflict in the world's top oil exporting region.Iran, in its row with the United States over sanctions, has also threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, the other major strategic shipping route for oil from the region and the main route for Iranian…
China Harbour Engineering to Build Berri Field in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabian oil giant Saudi Aramco has awarded a contract to China Harbour Engineering Arabia for the construction of two drilling islands under the company’s Berri Increment Program (BIP).The objective of the BIP is to produce an additional 250,000 barrels per day of Arabian Light crude oil from the Berri Oil Field to reach 500,000 barrels per day to maintain Saudi Aramco’s maximum sustained capacity by early 2023.A signing ceremony to mark the contract award was held in Dhahran.
Rowan Sells Two Jack-up Rigs to ARO Drilling
Texas-based offshore drilling contractor Rowan Companies announced that it has concluded the sale of two LeTourneau TARZAN Class jack-up rigs, the Scooter Yeargain and the Hank Boswell, to ARO Drilling.The net economic impact of this transaction was that Rowan received approximately $90 million in cash and $176 million in shareholder notes from ARO Drilling as consideration for the two rigs.In addition to Rowan's 50% equity stake in ARO Drilling…
Saudi Aramco Still Committed to Meet Future Oil Demand- Energy
Saudi state oil giant producer Saudi Aramco is still committed to meeting future oil demand through continued investments, the kingdom's Energy Minister Khalid Al Falih said in a company report on Friday.Aramco, which is slated for a public share sale, "continued to prepare itself for the listing of its shares, a landmark event the companu and its board anticipate with excitement," Al Falih was quoted as saying.Reporting by Rania El Gamal, writing by Hadeel Al Sayegh
Ensco to Buy Rowan in $2.38 Bln Deal
Offshore driller Ensco Plc said on Monday it plans to buy smaller rival Rowan Cos Plc in an all-stock deal valued at $2.38 billion, as it looks to expand its fleet and benefit from a partnership with Saudi Aramco.This is Ensco's second deal since OPEC-led efforts boosted oil prices in the second half of 2016. Ensco bought rival Atwood Oceanics in a similar deal last year.Rowan shareholders will receive 2.215 Ensco shares for each share held.
Total, Aramco Sign Deal to Start Jubail Petrochem Engineering Works
French energy group Total and Saudi Aramco signed an agreement on Monday to start engineering studies for the $5 billion construction of a petrochemical complex at the Jubail Satorp refinery on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia.Start-up of the complex, which will include a mixed-feed cracker with capacity of 1.5 million tons per year of ethylene and related high-added-value petrochemical units, is expected in 2024, the companies said."Satorp's second-phase expansion represents a quantum leap in Saudi Aramco’s downstream stra
S.Korean Refiners Step Up U.S. Spot Crude Purchases
S.Korean refiners step up spot crude purchases; Mideast crude make up 77.7 pct of imports, lowest since 2004. South Korea's purchases of sweet crudes from the United States and Africa are growing as its refiners snap up spot cargoes to replace more expensive Middle East grades, multiple sources from the country's oil industry said on Friday. South Korea's four refiners – SK Energy, GS Caltex, S-Oil and Hyundai Oilbank - typically…
Saudi Aramco Restructures Non-oil Assets ahead of IPO
Saudi Aramco has created a subsidiary to house its multibillion-dollar pension fund and could spin off its aviation division, sources said, as it restructures some assets not related to oil and gas ahead of its planned initial public offering (IPO).The move is designed to streamline Aramco's operations and could make it easier to value since its business risk would be clearer and that may help it achieve a higher price for its shares…
