Falih: Saudi Arabia Exports 1 Mn Barrels of Oil Derivatives

Falih hopes the oil market will be balanced by April (Reuters)
Falih hopes the oil market will be balanced by April (Reuters)
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Falih: Saudi Arabia Exports 1 Mn Barrels of Oil Derivatives

Falih hopes the oil market will be balanced by April (Reuters)
Falih hopes the oil market will be balanced by April (Reuters)

Saudi Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaled al-Falih said Wednesday that the Kingdom exports about one million barrels of oil derivatives per day.

He said it also exports about seven to eight million barrels of crude oil per day and quantities of liquefied gas.

Falih confirmed that Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering (IPO) is expected to take place within two years, stressing that all Saudi Aramco refineries and companies will be publicly offered too.

Saudi Arabia has the best attractive environment for foreign investment.

“The equal treatment of all investors is what made the Saudi investment environment the best.”

Falih made his press remarks in headquarters of Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical Company(SATORP).

He noted that the industry will see more investments in the near future, pointing out that the manufacturing industries in Sadara Chemical Company and SATORP will be stimulated and used to expand production into value-added industries.

The Saudi Minister added that 60 percent of car parts would be manufactured in Saudi Arabia, adding that the ministry was working to promote value-added chains.

Falih pointed out that the Kingdom is working on building a copper and insulation plant, which would qualify it to enter the electric car industry.

Saudi Aramco owns 65 percent of SATORP while Total owns 35 percent. It handles 460,000 barrels of heavy oil.

Notably, its Diesel refinery production amounts to 55 percent, gasoline 19 percent, petroleum coal five percent, petrochemicals 10 percent, in addition to 11 percent of other products.



Gold Jumps, on Track for Best Week in Over a Year on Safe-haven Demand

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
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Gold Jumps, on Track for Best Week in Over a Year on Safe-haven Demand

FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Gold bullions are displayed at GoldSilver Central's office in Singapore June 19, 2017. REUTERS/Edgar Su/File Photo

Gold prices rose over 1% to hit a two-week peak on Friday, heading for the best weekly performance in more than a year, buoyed by safe-haven demand as Russia-Ukraine tensions intensified.

Spot gold jumped 1.3% to $2,703.05 per ounce as of 1245 GMT, hitting its highest since Nov. 8. US gold futures gained 1.1% to $2,705.30.

Bullion rose despite the US dollar hitting a 13-month high, while bitcoin hit a record peak and neared the $100,000 level.

"With both gold and USD (US dollar) rising, it seems that safe-haven demand is lifting both assets," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.

Ukraine's military said its drones struck four oil refineries, radar stations and other military installations in Russia, Reuters reported.

Gold has gained over 5% so far this week, its best weekly performance since October 2023. Prices have gained around $173 after slipping to a two-month low last week.

"We understand that the price setback has been used by 'Western world' investors under-allocated to gold to build exposure considering the geopolitical risks that are still around. So we continue to expect gold to rise further over the coming months," Staunovo said.

Bullion tends to shine during geopolitical tensions, economic risks, and a low interest rate environment. Markets are pricing in a 59.4% chance of a 25-basis-points cut at the Fed's December meeting, per the CME Fedwatch tool.

However, "if Fed skips or pauses its rate cut in December, that will be negative for gold prices and we could see some pullback," said Soni Kumari, a commodity strategist at ANZ.

The Chicago Federal Reserve president reiterated his support for further US interest rate cuts on Thursday.

On Friday, spot silver rose 1.8% to $31.34 per ounce, platinum eased 0.1% to $960.13 and palladium fell 0.6% to $1,023.55. All three metals were on track for a weekly rise.