Aramco, Petrovietnam Sign Collaboration Framework Agreement

FILE PHOTO: The Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at Hyvolution exhibition in Paris, France, February 1, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at Hyvolution exhibition in Paris, France, February 1, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
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Aramco, Petrovietnam Sign Collaboration Framework Agreement

FILE PHOTO: The Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at Hyvolution exhibition in Paris, France, February 1, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: The Saudi Aramco logo is pictured at Hyvolution exhibition in Paris, France, February 1, 2024. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier/File Photo

Saudi Aramco has signed a Collaboration Framework Agreement with Vietnam Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam), paving the way for potential cooperation spanning the storage, supply and trading of energy and petrochemical products.

The agreement was formalized during an official visit by Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Pham Minh Chinh, to the Kingdom.

It was signed during the FII 8th Edition in Riyadh with a view to identifying potential opportunities to optimize operations and unlock additional value.

“This agreement lays the foundation for potential collaboration across the hydrocarbon value chain,” said Aramco Downstream President Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani.

“We look forward to exploring multiple opportunities with Petrovietnam that complement Aramco’s global downstream ambitions, contribute to Petrovietnam’s own strategy, and reinforce Asia’s importance in global energy and petrochemicals markets.”

Petrovietnam CEO Le Ngoc Son described the signing of the agreement as “a strategic step.”

On Tuesday, Aramco said that the company, and Taulia, a SAP company and leading FinTech provider of working capital management solutions — supported by the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) as one of the key finance providers of the domestic industrial sector — have signed agreements to establish a supply chain financing solution.

The entities are joining forces to establish one of the world’s largest supply chain financing programs, which aims to provide an alternative and affordable source of financing for Aramco’s suppliers.

Announced during the FII 8th Edition in Riyadh, the new FinTech solution is expected to enhance suppliers’ liquidity and cash forecasting accuracy, while reinforcing Aramco’s supply chain resilience.



Oil Prices Rise on Optimism Over Solid US Fuel Demand

FILE PHOTO: A pump jack drills oil crude from the Yates Oilfield in West Texas’s Permian Basin, as a 1.5MW GE wind turbine from the Desert Sky Wind Farm is seen in the distance, near Iraan, Texas, US, March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A pump jack drills oil crude from the Yates Oilfield in West Texas’s Permian Basin, as a 1.5MW GE wind turbine from the Desert Sky Wind Farm is seen in the distance, near Iraan, Texas, US, March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo
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Oil Prices Rise on Optimism Over Solid US Fuel Demand

FILE PHOTO: A pump jack drills oil crude from the Yates Oilfield in West Texas’s Permian Basin, as a 1.5MW GE wind turbine from the Desert Sky Wind Farm is seen in the distance, near Iraan, Texas, US, March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A pump jack drills oil crude from the Yates Oilfield in West Texas’s Permian Basin, as a 1.5MW GE wind turbine from the Desert Sky Wind Farm is seen in the distance, near Iraan, Texas, US, March 17, 2023. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo

Oil prices edged up on Thursday, extending the previous day's rally, driven by optimism over US fuel demand following an unexpected drop in crude and gasoline inventories, while reports that OPEC+ may delay a planned output increase offered support.
Brent crude futures gained 11 cents, or 0.15%, to $72.66 a barrel by 0805 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 13 cents, or 0.19%, to $68.74 per barrel.
Both contracts rose more than 2% on Wednesday, after falling more than 6% earlier in the week on the reduced risk of a wider Middle East conflict. US gasoline stockpiles fell unexpectedly in the week ending Oct. 25 to a two-year low on strengthened demand, the Energy Information Administration said, while crude inventories also posted a surprise drawdown as imports slipped. Nine analysts polled by Reuters had expected an increase in gasoline and crude inventories.
"The surprise decline in US gasoline stockpiles provided a buying opportunity as demand appeared stronger than anticipated," said Toshitaka Tazawa, an analyst at Fujitomi Securities.
"Expectations of a potential delay in the OPEC+ production increase were also supportive... If they do delay, WTI could recover to the $70 level," he said. Reuters reported OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia, could delay a planned oil production increase in December by a month or more because of concern over soft oil demand and rising supply. The group is scheduled to raise output by 180,000 barrels per day (bpd) in December. It had already delayed the increase from October because of falling prices.
A decision to postpone the increase could come as early as next week, two OPEC+ sources told Reuters.
OPEC+ is scheduled to meet on Dec. 1 to decide its next policy steps.
Manufacturing activity in China, the world's biggest oil importer, expanded in October for the first time in six months, suggesting that stimulus measures are having an effect. Markets are awaiting the results of the US presidential election on Nov. 5 as well as further details of China's economic stimulus. Reuters reported that China could approve the issuance of over 10 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion) in debt over the next few years on the last day of its Nov. 4-8 parliamentary meeting. In the Middle East, Lebanon's prime minister expressed hope on Wednesday that a ceasefire deal with Israel would be announced within days as Israel's public broadcaster published what it said was a draft agreement providing for an initial 60-day truce. The push for a ceasefire for Lebanon is taking place alongside a similar diplomatic drive to end hostilities in Gaza.
But the market impact is likely to be muted.
"Most of the Middle East geopolitical risk was stripped out of the oil price after Israel's response to Iran over the weekend," IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said.
Iran said that Israeli strikes on Saturday, in retaliation for Iran's Oct. 1 attack on Israel, caused only limited damage.