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Aramco Completes Acquisition of 40% Stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan

At the closing ceremony are GO CEO Khalid Riaz, sitting left, and Aramco Director of International Retail Nader Douhan, sitting right. Standing, from left, are GO board members Bilal Ansari and Shahzad Mubeen, Aramco Executive Vice President of Products & Customers Yasser Mufti, GO Chairman Tariq Kirmani, and Aramco Vice President of Retail Ziyad Juraifani. (Aramco Official Site)
At the closing ceremony are GO CEO Khalid Riaz, sitting left, and Aramco Director of International Retail Nader Douhan, sitting right. Standing, from left, are GO board members Bilal Ansari and Shahzad Mubeen, Aramco Executive Vice President of Products & Customers Yasser Mufti, GO Chairman Tariq Kirmani, and Aramco Vice President of Retail Ziyad Juraifani. (Aramco Official Site)
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Aramco Completes Acquisition of 40% Stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan

At the closing ceremony are GO CEO Khalid Riaz, sitting left, and Aramco Director of International Retail Nader Douhan, sitting right. Standing, from left, are GO board members Bilal Ansari and Shahzad Mubeen, Aramco Executive Vice President of Products & Customers Yasser Mufti, GO Chairman Tariq Kirmani, and Aramco Vice President of Retail Ziyad Juraifani. (Aramco Official Site)
At the closing ceremony are GO CEO Khalid Riaz, sitting left, and Aramco Director of International Retail Nader Douhan, sitting right. Standing, from left, are GO board members Bilal Ansari and Shahzad Mubeen, Aramco Executive Vice President of Products & Customers Yasser Mufti, GO Chairman Tariq Kirmani, and Aramco Vice President of Retail Ziyad Juraifani. (Aramco Official Site)

Saudi oil giant Aramco said it has made further progress in its global retail expansion by completing the acquisition of a 40% equity stake in Gas & Oil Pakistan Ltd. (“GO”).

GO is a diversified downstream fuels, lubricants and retail store operator in Pakistan with a network of more than 1,200 retail fuel stations, Aramco said in a statement on Friday.

It added that the acquisition, first announced in December 2023, represents Aramco’s first Downstream retail investment in Pakistan and signals the Company’s growing retail presence in high-value markets.

"In March, Aramco also acquired a 100% equity stake in Esmax Distribución SpA (“Esmax”), a leading diversified downstream fuels and lubricants retailer in Chile," the statement added.

In this regard, Yasser Mufti, Aramco Executive Vice President of Products & Customers, said: “Our global retail expansion is gaining pace and this acquisition is an important next step on our journey. Through our strategic partnership with GO, we look forward to supplying Aramco’s high-quality products and services to valued customers in Pakistan."

"We are also delighted to welcome another high-caliber addition to Aramco’s growing network of global partners, and look forward to combining our resources and expertise to unlock new opportunities and further grow the Aramco brand overseas.”

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Business

Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
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Oil Prices Steady as Markets Weigh Demand against US Inventories

FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)
FILE - Pump jacks extract oil from beneath the ground in North Dakota, May 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as investors weighed firm winter fuel demand expectations against large US fuel inventories and macroeconomic concerns.

Brent crude futures were down 3 cents at $76.13 a barrel by 1003 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures dipped 10 cents to $73.22.

Both benchmarks fell more than 1% on Wednesday as a stronger dollar and a bigger than expected rise in US fuel stockpiles pressured prices.

"The oil market is still grappling with opposite forces - seasonal demand to support the bulls and macro data that supports a stronger US dollar in the medium term ... that can put a ceiling to prevent the bulls from advancing further," said OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong.

JPMorgan analysts expect oil demand for January to expand by 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) year on year to 101.4 million bpd, primarily driven by increased use of heating fuels in the Northern Hemisphere.

"Global oil demand is expected to remain strong throughout January, fuelled by colder than normal winter conditions that are boosting heating fuel consumption, as well as an earlier onset of travel activities in China for the Lunar New Year holidays," the analysts said.

The market structure in Brent futures is also indicating that traders are becoming more concerned about supply tightening at the same time demand is increasing.

The premium of the front-month Brent contract over the six-month contract reached its widest since August on Wednesday. A widening of this backwardation, when futures for prompt delivery are higher than for later delivery, typically indicates that supply is declining or demand is increasing.

Nevertheless, official Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed rising gasoline and distillates stockpiles in the United States last week.

The dollar strengthened further on Thursday, underpinned by rising Treasury yields ahead of US President-elect Donald Trump's entrance into the White House on Jan. 20.

Looking ahead, WTI crude oil is expected to oscillate within a range of $67.55 to $77.95 into February as the market awaits more clarity on Trump's administration policies and fresh fiscal stimulus measures out of China, OANDA's Wong said.