Saudi Arabia Announces 4 Oil and Gas Discoveries

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Announces 4 Oil and Gas Discoveries

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz. (SPA)

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz announced that Saudi Aramco has discovered four new oil and gas fields in the Kingdom.

He said that non-conventional oil has been discovered in al-Reesh oil field, northwest of Dhahran. Al-Reesh Well No. 2 boasts 4,452 barrels per day of Arab extra light crude oil, along with 3.2 million standard cubic feet of natural gas, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Sunday.

To determine the field’s size, Aramco has drilled al-Reesh Well No. 3 and Well No. 4. Well No. 3’s initial production has reached 2,745 barrels per day of the same oil type, along with 3 million standard cubic feet of gas per day. Well No. 4’s daily flow of Arab Extra Light crude oil amounts to 3,654 barrels per day, along with a daily 1.6 million standard cubic feet of natural gas.

Non-conventional gas has also been discovered in al-Sarrah reservoir at al-Minahhaz well, southwest of the Ghawar oil field, and at al-Sahbaa well, south of Ghawar. Gas from al-Minahhaz well amounts to 18 million standard cubic feet daily, along with a daily 98 barrels of condensate, and al-Sahbaa well boasts a daily rate of 32 million standard cubic feet.

Oil has also been discovered in al-Ajramiyah Well No. 1, which lies to the northwest of the city of Rafhaa in the Northern Borders Province. The well test shows a rate of 3,850 barrels of oil per day.

Prince Abdulaziz said the discovery at al-Reesh field is especially important as it shows that it is possible to produce Arab extra light crude oil at the Tuwaiq Mountain Formation.

He also said that Saudi Aramco continues to work on determining the size and volume of discovered fields and estimating the amount of oil, gas and condensate in these fields.

He added that the discoveries underline the wealth of natural resources the Kingdom has at its disposal.



Gold Edges Down as Markets Eye Fed's 2025 Monetary Policy Outlook

Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
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Gold Edges Down as Markets Eye Fed's 2025 Monetary Policy Outlook

Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo
Gold bars from the vault of a bank are seen in this illustration picture taken in Zurich November 20, 2014. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo

Gold prices edged lower as the dollar held firm on Wednesday, with investors awaiting a key US Federal Reserve decision expected to shape market sentiment and gold's trajectory by outlining the central bank's 2025 outlook.

Spot gold slipped 0.3% to $2,637.13 per ounce by 10:00 a.m. EST (1500 GMT). US gold futures were down 0.3% at $2,653.20.

The Fed's 2025 economic projections and decision are due at 2 p.m. EST (1900 GMT), followed by Fed chair Jerome Powell's press conference at 2:30 p.m. EST, Reuters reported.

"What markets will truly focus on is the tone set by Jerome Powell. A hawkish stance could drive Treasury yields higher and bolster the dollar, putting downward pressure on gold prices," said Ricardo Evangelista, senior analyst at ActivTrades.

"Conversely, a more cautious tone might provide some support for bullion."

While markets are pricing in a 99% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut during this meeting, the chances of another reduction in January stand at only 17%.

Non-yielding gold tends to do well in a low-interest-rate environment.

Traders are also watching out for key US GDP and inflation data due later this week that could further shape expectations around monetary policy.

"I do see the consolidation as a continuation pattern within the longer term uptrend in gold. I think that trend will re-exert itself in the first quarter of 2025," said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals.

Grant highlighted that bullion remains underpinned by easing central bank policies, geopolitical tensions, sustained buying by central banks, and rising global political instability.

UBS echoed this sentiment in a note, predicting gold would "build on its gains in 2025." The bank emphasized that central banks are likely to continue accumulating gold as they diversify reserves, while heightened demand for hedges could drive inflows into gold-backed exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Spot silver fell 1.1% at $30.19 per ounce, platinum slipped 1.3% to $926.90, while palladium declined 1.3% to $922.19.