Russia May Cut Oil Output in Response to Price Caps, Says Deputy PM

Liberia-flagged Aframax tanker Suvorovsky Prospect discharges fuel oil from Russia at the Matanzas terminal, in Matanzas, Cuba, July 16, 2022. (Reuters)
Liberia-flagged Aframax tanker Suvorovsky Prospect discharges fuel oil from Russia at the Matanzas terminal, in Matanzas, Cuba, July 16, 2022. (Reuters)
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Russia May Cut Oil Output in Response to Price Caps, Says Deputy PM

Liberia-flagged Aframax tanker Suvorovsky Prospect discharges fuel oil from Russia at the Matanzas terminal, in Matanzas, Cuba, July 16, 2022. (Reuters)
Liberia-flagged Aframax tanker Suvorovsky Prospect discharges fuel oil from Russia at the Matanzas terminal, in Matanzas, Cuba, July 16, 2022. (Reuters)

Russia may cut oil output by 5%-7% in early 2023 as it responds to price caps on its crude and oil products by halting sales to the countries that support them, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told state television on Friday.

Detailing for the first time the Russian response to the price caps introduced by the West over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, Novak said the cuts could amount to 500,000-700,000 barrels per day.

The European Union, G7 nations and Australia introduced a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian oil from Dec. 5, on top of the EU's embargo on imports of Russian crude by sea and similar pledges by the United States, Canada, Japan and Britain.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he would issue a decree early next week detailing Moscow's actions in response to the price cap.

Novak said the decree would ban sales of oil and oil products to countries that join the price cap and companies that demand its observance.



Saudi PIF-Owned SIRC Starts Export of Recycled PET Flakes to UK

SIRC’s headquarters in Saudi Arabia (company website)
SIRC’s headquarters in Saudi Arabia (company website)
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Saudi PIF-Owned SIRC Starts Export of Recycled PET Flakes to UK

SIRC’s headquarters in Saudi Arabia (company website)
SIRC’s headquarters in Saudi Arabia (company website)

The Saudi Investment Recycling Company, SIRC, said on Tuesday it successfully completed its first export of recycled and heat-washed PET flakes through its joint venture project under Yadoum’s Masab, to one of the largest manufacturers of recycled PET bottles in the United Kingdom.
This comes after the company started exporting the flakes -small fragments of PET bottles- earlier this year to manufacturers in Spain.
SIRC, a fully Public Investment Fund-owned company, said in a statement that this achievement marks an important step for Yadoum to enter the British market, a region with tremendous potential for importing recyclable materials.
This move is not the first of its kind, as SIRC had previously started exporting PET flakes to Spain earlier this year, increasing exports to over 1,650 tons.
Commenting on the achievement, SIRC Group CEO, Engineer Ziyad Alshiha said, “We take pride in contributing to the Kingdom’s sustainability objectives through this initiative.”
He added, “By reducing greenhouse gas emissions, diverting waste away from landfills, and supporting the Saudi Green Initiative, SIRC plays a key role in empowering local industries and promoting a more sustainable future.”
The company said it is also strengthening its partnership with major companies in Europe. This cooperation is expected to push towards further integration in the PET recycling sector and other fields, it added.