Middle East

UAE's ADNOC Boosts Lower-Carbon Budget to $23 Billion

The state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said on Monday it would allocate $23 billion for decarbonization and lower-carbon projects, up from a previous $15 billion target.

Qatar Set to Sign Cheaper Long-Term LNG Deal with India

Qatar Energy within weeks could sign a long-term deal to provide LNG to Indian buyers on cheaper and more flexible terms than existing contracts, trade sources said, as India seeks to meet a goal to increase the fuel's use.

Tankers Carrying Qatari LNG Resume Course Amid Red Sea Tension

Four tankers used for shipments of Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) have resumed course after pausing for several days amid maritime attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis in the Red Sea, LSEG ship-tracking data showed on Tuesday.

QatarEnergy Pauses Red Sea LNG Shipping Amid Attacks, Seeks Security Advice

QatarEnergy, the world's second largest exporter of LNG, has stopped sending tankers via the Red Sea although production continues, a senior source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Monday.

Bulgaria Replacing Russian Crude with Oil from Kazakhstan, Iraq, Tunisia

Bulgaria is replacing Russian oil imports with crude from Kazakhstan, Iraq and Tunisia in January, according to traders and LSEG data.

Iran Seizes Oil Tanker Involved in U.S.-Iran Dispute in Gulf of Oman

Iran seized a tanker with Iraqi crude destined for Turkey on Thursday in retaliation for the confiscation last year of the same vessel and its oil by the U.S., Iranian state media reported, a move likely to stoke regional tensions.

Saudi Arabia Commits to Diversified Energy Portfolio Beyond Oil Focus

Saudi Arabia is taking climate change issues seriously and has shifted its focus to all kinds of energy, not just oil. The country maintains that fossil fuel use can continue, provided it is coupled with measures to capture emissions.

Saudi Arabia Tries to Thread the Needle Between Crude Output, Prices

Saudi Aramco's decision to cut the price of its crude for Asian customers shows just how difficult it is for the world's largest oil exporter to walk the line between maintaining market share and restraining output enough to bolster prices.

Iran's Oil Trade with China Stalls as Tehran Demands Higher Prices

China's oil trade with Iran has stalled as Tehran withholds shipments and demands higher prices from its top client, tightening cheap supply for the world's biggest crude importer, refinery and trade sources said.

BlackRock to Invest Up to $400 Million in Dubai Decarbonization Firm Positive Zero

BlackRock has agreed to invest up to $400 million in Dubai-based decarbonization company Positive Zero through a diversified infrastructure fund, Positive Zero said in a statement on Monday.

India Boosts Saudi Oil Imports in December Amidst Decline in Russian Purchases

India increased imports of Saudi oil in December as payment problems drove its Russian oil buys to an 11-month low, with at least five cargoes of the sweet Sokol variant heading to other locations, data from vessel tracking agencies showed.

PetroChina Assumes Lead Role as ExxonMobil Completes West Qurna 1 Operations

U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil Corp. has formally exited the West Qurna 1 oilfield in southern Iraq and handed over its operations to PetroChina as lead contractor, a deputy oil minister told Reuters on Monday.

Global News January 2024

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Qatar to Supply Crude Oil to Shell in Five-Year Deal

Qatar has agreed to supply Shell in Singapore with up to 18 million barrels of oil a year for five years in what the Gulf state's energy company said was its first ever five-year crude sales deal.

Oil Prices Stabilize Amid Middle East Tensions and Anticipation of U.S. Rate Cut

Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday as investors focused on geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and optimism the U.S. Federal Reserve would soon start cutting interest rates, lifting global economic growth and fuel demand.

ADNOC Signs 15-Year LNG Supply Deal with Unit of China's ENN

Abu Dhabi's state oil giant ADNOC said on Wednesday it signed a 15-year agreement to deliver at least 1 million metric tons a year of LNG to a subsidiary of China's ENN Natural Gas.

Some LNG Vessels Avoid Passing Yemen as Red Sea Attacks Increase

Several liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels have changed their courses in recent days to avoid the Red Sea region amid maritime attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on the world's main East-West trade route.

Looking Back at the Biggest Pipeline Stories of 2023

(P&GJ) – In this final issue of P&GJ for 2023, the staff – with more than a little help from our readers – takes a look back at the sometimes chaotic year in midstream that was 2023.

Aramco Expands Big Data Unit to Drive M&A Decisions and Profit Optimization

Saudi oil giant Aramco is boosting its big data and artificial intelligence unit that links up its assets to help maximize profit, assisting on decisions from trading to acquisitions, a senior executive told Reuters.

Record U.S. Oil Output Challenges Saudi Mastery

U.S. crude oil production set a record for the second month running in September, highlighting the challenge to Saudi Arabia and its OPEC+ partners as they cut their own production to boost prices.

Global News December 2023

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EU Keeps Eastern Mediterranean Gas Pipeline on New List of Priorities

The European Commission has maintained a proposed pipeline connecting the gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean to Greece via Cyprus and Crete on its new list of Projects of Common Interest (PCI) published on Tuesday.

UAE Set to Ramp Up Murban Crude Exports in Early 2024

The United Arab Emirates will ramp up exports of Abu Dhabi's flagship Murban crude early in 2024 as a new OPEC+ mandate kicks in and barrels are diverted to the international market owing to refinery maintenance, according to traders and Reuters data.

Geopolitical Realities Dim the Prospects for an Oil Embargo on Israel Amidst Middle East Tensions

The conflict has led many analysts, oil market watchers and politicians to draw parallels with the 1973 OPEC embargo, when Arab oil producers cut off oil exports to several allies of Israel, including the United States and Britain, following the Israeli-Arab war that year.

Turkey Extends LNG Deal with Algeria for Three Years

Turkish state energy company Botas has signed a deal with Algerian state oil and gas company Sonatrach to extend their existing gas supply contract for three years, Turkey's energy minister said on Tuesday.

Kuwait-based Investment Firm Secures Minority Stake in Pipeline Inspection Provider Pipecare Group

Kuwait-based Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) said on Monday it has acquired a significant minority stake in Pipecare Group Holding, a major provider of pipeline inspection services.

Texas Men Convicted in Attempted Sale of Iranian Petroleum, Face 45 Years in Prison

A U.S. jury has convicted two Texas men of trying to sell Iranian petroleum in violation of sanctions imposed by Washington and of conspiracy to commit money laundering, the Justice Department said on Friday.

Iraq-Turkey Pipeline Restart Talks Exclude Industry Representation, APIKUR Says

APIKUR, which represents international companies involved in upstream oil or gas contracts in Iraq's Kurdistan region, have not been contacted by Iraqi or Kurdish officials for a deal to allow the resumption of oil flows from the Iraq-Turkey pipeline.

Global News November 2023

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Chevron Resumes Natural Gas Supply from Israel's Tamar Offshore Field

Chevron said on Monday it had resumed the supply of natural gas from the offshore Tamar field, a month after it was told by Israel to halt operations due to violence in the region.