Saudi Arabia, Oman Discuss Oil Markets

A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)
A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)
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Saudi Arabia, Oman Discuss Oil Markets

A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)
A general view of Muscat, Oman. (AP)

Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman discussed on Monday with his Omani counterpart Dr. Mohammed al-Rumhi coordination within OPEC + and their vision on oil market developments.

While oil prices are witnessing fluctuations as a result of the uncertainty in global economy, the Kingdom is seeking to secure global supplies to match the volume of global demand, leading to the stability of oil markets.

The ministers discussed means of boosting cooperation in various energy fields, including renewable energy, the circular carbon economy and sustainability, the Saudi Energy Ministry tweeted.

This comes in line with the close bilateral cooperation ties in all fields, especially the economic field, it added.

On January 4, OPEC and its allies, a group known as OPEC+, agreed to stick to its planned increase in oil output for February because it expects the Omicron coronavirus variant to have a short-lived impact on global energy demand.

The OPEC+ agreement allowed for a 400,000 bpd production increase in December from all members, of which about 253,000 bpd is shared by the 10 OPEC members participating in the deal.

Oman is a crude oil producing country and an OPEC+ member, with an average actual production of 1.1 million barrels per day.

Saudi Arabia is a large oil producer with an average daily production of 11 million barrels. It is the world’s third largest producer after Russia and the United States, and the largest oil exporter with an average of 7.4 million barrels per day.

The volume of trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and Oman amounted to $3.36 billion in 2020, while the value of Saudi non-oil exports to Oman reached $1016 billion, according to official media.



Egypt’s Tender for 20 Winter LNG Cargoes Fully Awarded

Traffic during rush hour in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo (AFP)
Traffic during rush hour in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo (AFP)
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Egypt’s Tender for 20 Winter LNG Cargoes Fully Awarded

Traffic during rush hour in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo (AFP)
Traffic during rush hour in Tahrir Square in downtown Cairo (AFP)

Egypt’s Tender for 20 Winter LNG Cargoes Fully Awarded

Egypt's recent tender seeking 20 cargoes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to cover winter demand after a steep decline in domestic gas output has been fully awarded, four trading sources told Reuters on Friday.

This is the first time Egypt has issued a tender to cover winter demand since 2018.

The most populous Arab country has returned to being a net importer of natural gas this year, buying more than 50 cargoes so far this year and abandoning plans to become a reliable supplier to Europe.

The tender, which was issued by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC) and closed on Sept. 12, aims to cover demand for the fourth quarter of 2024 and was awarded on a six-month deferred payment basis.

“Despite the geopolitical challenges in the region and market tightness, EGPC received offers from more than 15 major players at very competitive rates that were 30%-40% less than expected market prices,” a source close to the matter said.

“Offers were around a $1-plus per million British thermal unit (mmBtu) premium to the TTF, without the financial cost, which is around $0.60/mmBtu...this is far less than market expectation of a premium over $2/mmBtu.”

Three other trading sources said the tender was awarded at a premium of between $1.70 and $1.90 to the benchmark gas price at the Dutch TTF hub.

The deals are for 17 cargoes to be delivered between Oct. 4 and Nov. 29 to Egypt's floating terminal in the Red Sea port of Ain Sukhna and three cargoes to Aqaba port in Jordan.

Winners of the tender included TotalEnergies, Shell, BP and commodities traders Glencore and Gunvor. Saudi Aramco won a few cargoes, as did smaller commodities trader Hartree.

Egypt’s domestic gas output fell to a six-year low in May and is expected to drop by a further 22.5% by the end of 2028, consultancy Energy Aspects said, with power consumption expected to jump by 39% over the next decade.