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.



Russia’s Pipeline Gas Exports to Europe up 13% in 2024, Calculations Show

Gazprom logo and stock graph are seen through a magnifier displayed in this illustration taken September 4, 2022. (Reuters)
Gazprom logo and stock graph are seen through a magnifier displayed in this illustration taken September 4, 2022. (Reuters)
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Russia’s Pipeline Gas Exports to Europe up 13% in 2024, Calculations Show

Gazprom logo and stock graph are seen through a magnifier displayed in this illustration taken September 4, 2022. (Reuters)
Gazprom logo and stock graph are seen through a magnifier displayed in this illustration taken September 4, 2022. (Reuters)

Pipeline gas exports by Russian energy giant Gazprom to Europe increased by 13% in 2024 to around 32 billion cubic meters (bcm), Reuters calculations showed on Saturday, slightly more than the 31 bcm supplied to China.

Gazprom's average daily pipeline exports have been stable this December, at 91.3 million cubic meters (mcm), in comparison with November, but rose by 7% from December 2023, calculations based on data from European gas transmission group Entsog and Gazprom's daily reports on gas transit via Ukraine showed.

Its total supply to the European Union stood at about 2.8 bcm in December, the preliminary data showed, including 1.5 bcm, or 49.2 mcm per day, sent via Turkey.

Gas transit via Ukraine has reached around 1.3 bcm this month, or 42.1 mcm per day, almost unchanged from November despite Russia halting gas exports to Austria's OMV in mid-November over a contractual dispute.

Gazprom's exports to Europe via Ukraine this year have reached about 15 bcm.

The transit agreement between Moscow and Kyiv expires in the end of the year and is unlikely to continue as Ukraine has repeatedly said it was unwilling to do so amid the military conflict.

President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday there was no time left this year to sign a new Ukrainian gas transit deal, and laid the blame firmly on Ukraine for refusing to extend the agreement that brings gas to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria.

Gazprom, which has not published its own monthly statistics since the start of 2023, did not respond to a request for comment.

Russia supplied about 63.8 bcm of gas to Europe by various routes in 2022, Gazprom data and Reuters calculations show. That fell by 55.6% to 28.3 bcm last year.

At their peak in 2018-2019, annual flows to Europe reached between 175 bcm and 180 bcm.