Middle East
EIG-Led Consortium Closes $12.4 Billion Infrastructure Deal with Aramco
EIG, a leading institutional investor to the global energy sector and one of the world’s leading infrastructure investors, today announced the closing of its previously announced transaction with Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (“Aramco”), under which a consortium of investors acquired a 49% equity stake in Aramco Oil Pipelines Company (“Aramco Oil Pipelines”), a newly formed entity with rights to 25 years of tariff payments for oil transported through Aramco’s stabilized crude oil pipeline network.
Gwadar Refinery Plans are Shifting Over to Karachi
Saudi Arabia has reportedly altered its intentions to build a new refinery in Gwadar over to a new location near Karachi. Gwadar has been considered a key piece for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and this decision to move away is likely a detriment to the plans for this hub.
Siemens Energy inaugurates industrial scale green H2 project in MENA Region
Siemens Energy, in collaboration with Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and Expo 2020 Dubai, has inaugurated the first industrial scale, solar-driven green hydrogen facility in the Middle East and North Africa.
Engro Contracts Honeywell UOP and W.R. Grace for Technologies at PDH/PP Complex
Engro of Pakistan recently announced it has chosen Honeywell UOP and W.R. Grace for respective technologies to be utilized at the company’s upcoming Propane Dehydrogenation and Polypropylene (PDH/PP) production facility in Karachi, Pakistan.
Amazon renewables drive
Amazon the America multinational technology company, most popular as an online retailer, has been in recent years driving to a more sustainable carbon footprint. In 2019 the enterprise-wide carbon footprint from direct and in-direct operational activities was 51.17 MMT CO2e according to the business’s website.
Samsung Signs on to Build Significant Saudi Arabian PDH Plant
Samsung Engineering of South Korea recently stated that it has been awarded a contract valued at $653 million dollars for the construction of a propane dehydrogenation plant (PDH) in Saudi Arabia.
Rabigh Solar PV IPP Project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni) signed a Power Purchase Agreement with the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) through a Special Purpose Company (SPC) established with Al Jomaih Energy & Water Company Limited (Al Jomaih) in January 2021. In March 2021, a loan agreement for limited-recourse project financing for the Rabigh Solar PV IPP Project was signed, and EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) work on the project proceeded the following month.
Hydrogen – data telling a story
The Global Energy Infrastructure (GEI) team held a webcast earlier in March which looked at trends in traditional and new energy markets which reveals major trends in global energy markets.
Pakistan Poised for Progress with Saudi Aramco’s $10 billion “Oil City” in Gwadar
It was recently reported that Pakistan will indeed begin plans for a significant refinery complex to be built in Balochistan’s Gwadar district.
Qatar Petroleum Moves Forward with North Field East LNG Project
State owned Qatar Petroleum (QP) recently announced that it will indeed proceed with the nearly $30 billion-dollar North Field East (NFE) LNG export project in the country. The company added that it is believed to be the world’s largest of its kind.
Qatar expansion gets the go ahead
Qatar Petroleum has taken FID on four more trains at Ras Laffan, the most competitive LNG project in the world.
Maire Tecnimont SpA Signs on for Two New EPC Contracts at the Heydar Aliyev Baku Refinery
Maire Tecnimont SpA of Italy announced on February 3, 2021 that two of its subsidiaries will provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services as part of the modernization program underway at the Heydar Aliyev Oil refinery in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Data is king, integration is queen
Harnessing the power of data science and real-time intelligence offers a powerful single view of the market Few people know that data intelligence firm Kpler’s journey actually started in 2014, when the founders were told by an LNG trader: “I receive many proposals for ship-tracking software, but I don’t care about the ships. I care about cargoes into them, their volumes and the commercial information related to them”.
Oman Shell launched the 25-megawatt Qabas solar plant
Oman Shell launched the 25-megawatt Qabas solar plant, helping the port and freezone in Sohar to become more sustainable and demonstrating the commercial benefits of solar power for industrial purposes. Owned by Shell, Sohar Solar Qabas is the company’s first utility scale, photovoltaic (PV) solar project in the Middle East and in Oman.
UAE leads the way in solar power in the Middle East
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is pushing ahead with its transition to alternative fuels. According to a report from Deloitte the key drivers for the growth of the UAE solar sector are large scale government sponsored solar energy projects and a strong sovereign credit rating offering low risk for Independent Power Producers (IPPs) with Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs). This is evident in the scale of projects that have already been completed or under construction
UAE Energy Minister believes oil demand could recover by the end of 2021
According to recent reports, United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei has commented on a potentially updated timeline for a return to form for global oil demand. He believes that global demand will make a somewhat optimistic return to pre-pandemic level by the end of 2021 or early 2022.
TAQA Announces Financial Closing for the World’s Largest Solar Power Plant
Abu Dhabi National Energy Company (TAQA) – alongside partners Masdar, EDF Renewables and JinkoPower – announced, today, the successful financial closing of the Al Dhafra Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Independent Power Producer (IPP) project.
Greece extends its import influence
DESFA, the operator of the Greece natural gas transmission system, has been awarded the operation and maintenance services of Kuwait’s newest LNG import terminal. The 11.5m t/y Al Zour LNG import terminal, currently under construction for 2021 will have eight storage tanks with a capacity of 225,00..
Dow and the Al-Hejailan Group Announce Joint Venture for Saudi Arabia
The Al-Hejailan Group of Saudia Arabia and Dow of the United States recently announced that it will form a joint venture for the design, construction, and eventual operation of a polyacrylic acid (PAA) and emulsion polymers plant to be placed in Saudi Arabia’s Plaschem Park. This joint venture will be headed up by Al-Hejailan with 75% ownership with Dow holding the remaining 25%.
Support for wind's growth
The International Energy Agency (IEA) report, Renewables 2020 released on 10 November 2020, proclaims that renewable power is defying the Covid crisis with record growth this year and next. It goes on to say that renewables will account for almost 90% of the increase in total power capacity worldwide in 2020 and will accelerate in 2021 to their fastest growth in the last six years. Wind and solar additions are set to jump by 30% in both the United States and China as developers rush to take advantage of expiring incentives.
Oman’s Duqm petrochemical project postponed for now
The Duqm Refinery and Petrochemicals Industries Company (DRPIC) of Oman stated recently that the petrochemical portion of its Duqm Refinery and Petrochemical Complex has paused its progress. The COVID-19 effect on the company’s economics has been called the likely reason for this postponement.
Crude Oil to Chemicals technology: a revolution for the petrochemicals industry
Refiners are looking to integrate petrochemical activity into their production in a big way. Crude-oil-to-chemicals (COTC) projects will be a powerful tool for refiners looking to maximize chemical production through increasingly efficient technology expected to consistently improve in chemical yields from the crude feedstock.
Electricity’s new king will be solar PV
The latest World Energy Outlook published in October from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that solar photovoltaic generation will be the largest source of power by 2040. Unlike other sectors during the Covid-19 pandemic the renewable electricity market has remained buoyant throughout 2020. The IEA suggests that renewables is set for rapid growth. In the Stated Policies Scenario (STEPS), renewables will rise by two-thirds between 2020 to 2030.
SABIC and Saudi Aramco are reevaluating their plans for the upcoming Yanbu COTC project
SABIC recently announced that it was reevaluating and likely expanding its vision for the crude oil-to-chemicals (COTC) project in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia with the integration of existing infrastructure.
How to utilize solar potential
In an age where traditional methods of energy generation, such as burning coal and gas to generate electricity emit greenhouse gases, the energy transition movement has seen the need to investigate alternative or renewable energies. Wind and solar seem to be favored forms of alternative energies to be scaled up first.
Global Project Data update for October 2020
Although the gas processing and LNG industries took a major hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, new project announcements within the sector have increased for two straight months
Middle East: Saudi Arabia eyes major growth in petrochemicals market
Saudi Arabia aims to become a major player in the global petrochemicals market within the next several years, with plans to increase domestic and foreign production and expand its exports.
Petrochemicals: Growth, challenges, advancements and the technologies shaping an industry
Over the past decade, capital investments in new petrochemical capacity have skyrocketed. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been invested in capacity expansions, upgrades and grassroots facilities, and the industry is not done yet.
Business Trends: The downstream dilemma: Past, present and future of downstream energy
The oil industry’s interest in the downstream segment of the business has known ups and downs. This article reviews the past, present and projected future of the downstream sector and its companies.
Industry Perspectives: Petrochemicals surge despite possible future roadblocks
Over the past several years, investments in petrochemicals capacity additions have skyrocketed. Hundreds of billions of dollars have and will be invested in additional petrochemicals units and complexes.
