Saudi Energy Minister: Last Oil Barrel Produced Globally will be from Saudi Arabia

Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
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Saudi Energy Minister: Last Oil Barrel Produced Globally will be from Saudi Arabia

Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser
Saudi energy minister Khalid al-Falih REUTERS/Faisal Al Nasser

Saudi Minister of Energy and Industry Khalid al-Falih supported the public offering of Saudi Aramco and confirmed the company has several elements that attract investments.

Speaking before international investors in Riyadh, Falih stated that Aramco has the exclusive access to develop quarter of the world’s conventional crude resources, at the lowest cost producer.

He added: “Saudi Aramco is going to be the supplier of last resort and I am certain that the last barrel that gets produced globally is going to be here in Saudi Arabia."

Falih stated that Aramco was a compelling investment in a world that is gradually shifting away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. He reiterated that the kingdom would remain a cornerstone of the global oil industry through Aramco.

Regardless of what happens to oil demand growth or the shift to electric cars, the current era is the time of renewable energy, according to the minister.

He dismissed fear concerning the effect of electric cars on oil demand, saying that production of the cars will increase the demand on products such as chemicals, plastics, and aluminum.

The minister informed the conference that the Kingdom is establishing local cars production industry. He assured the attendees that the demand for regular cars in the region and Saudi Arabia will increase over the coming few years.

Global oil demand is expected to grow by 45 percent by 2050 despite an international push for using more renewable sources of energy, according to Falih. He added that demand for fossil fuels will increase 70 percent by 2050 and demand for oil will be about 115 million barrels per day during 2050.



Oil Prices Ease as Markets Weigh China Stimulus Hopes

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 Ease as Markets Weigh China Stimulus Hopes

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 edged lower on Thursday in light holiday trade as the dollar's strength offset hopes for additional fiscal stimulus in China, the world's biggest oil importer.

Brent crude futures settled down 32 cents, or 0.43%, at $73.26 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude closed at $69.62, down 0.68%, or 48 cents, from Tuesday's pre-Christmas settlement.

Chinese authorities have agreed to issue 3 trillion yuan ($411 billion) worth of special treasury bonds next year, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing two sources, as Beijing ramps up fiscal stimulus to revive a faltering economy.

"Injecting a stimulus into a nation's economy creates increased demand, and increased demand pushes prices higher," said Tim Snyder, chief economist at Matador Economics, Reuters reported.

The World Bank on Thursday raised its forecast for China's economic growth in 2024 and 2025, but warned that subdued household and business confidence, along with headwinds in the property sector, would keep weighing it down next year.

The US dollar continued to edge up higher after hitting a milestone last week. A stronger dollar makes oil more expensive for holders of other currencies.

The latest weekly report on US inventories, from the American Petroleum Institute industry group, showed crude stocks fell last week by 3.2 million barrels, market sources said on Tuesday.

Traders will be waiting to see if the official inventory report from the Energy Information Administration confirms the decline. The EIA data is due at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) on Friday, later than normal because of the Christmas holiday.

Analysts in a Reuters poll expect crude inventories fell by about 1.9 million barrels in the week to Dec. 20, while gasoline and distillate inventories are seen falling by 1.1 million barrels and 0.3 million barrels respectively.

Elsewhere, southbound traffic in Turkey's Bosphorus Strait was set to resume on Thursday, having been halted earlier in the day after a tanker suffered an engine failure, shipping agent Tribeca said.