Egypt to Benefit from Mining in the Golden Triangle

Discussions between the concerned ministries to develop the Golden Triangle region in Egypt (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Discussions between the concerned ministries to develop the Golden Triangle region in Egypt (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Egypt to Benefit from Mining in the Golden Triangle

Discussions between the concerned ministries to develop the Golden Triangle region in Egypt (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Discussions between the concerned ministries to develop the Golden Triangle region in Egypt (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek El-Molla has said that the development of the Golden Triangle region requires the participation of all sectors to attract foreign and domestic investments.

The Golden Triangle project is one of the major mining projects intended to be established between Qena, Safaga, and al-Qusayr. Its area is over 7,000 square kilometers.

It includes tourism, mining, agricultural, industrial, and commercial projects amid expectations of providing about half a million job opportunities in five years.

The area is rich in mining sources that make up 75 percent of Egypt's minerals, including metallic and non-metallic minerals, iron, copper, gold, silver, granite, and phosphate.

Molla chaired a workshop for coordination between the mining and the industrial sectors to explore investment opportunities at the economic zone in the Golden Triangle area.

The minister stressed the importance of increasing the efficiency of the infrastructure and achieving possible benefits from the mining resources, which can be one of the primary resources of added value to the national economy.

The meeting also reviewed the strategy of the Egyptian mining sector, the investment map for the mining sector until 2040, the ministry's vision to develop the Golden Triangle, and maximizing its revenues.

Also, the workshop witnessed agreement on the importance of emphasizing the mining reserves, noting that the last international bids posted by the ministry had activated the mining exploration and discovery operations in the promising area.

At the end of the meeting, Molla highlighted the importance of welcoming all feasible ideas and agreeing on a roadmap to develop the Triangle.

He also called for providing the necessary human cadres and building their capabilities to actively attract investments.

The minister pointed to the importance of the Environment Ministry's participation in the development project in light of the vital role of environmental compatibility regarding luring investments.

He directed officials to work on a dialogue based on the strengths that characterize the region to accelerate the development of outputs that enable the sustainability of work and growth.



Oil Heads for Weekly Gains on Anxiety over Intensifying Ukraine War

Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oilfield in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oilfield in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
TT

Oil Heads for Weekly Gains on Anxiety over Intensifying Ukraine War

Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oilfield in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo
Pump jacks operate in front of a drilling rig in an oilfield in Midland, Texas US August 22, 2018. Picture taken August 22, 2018. REUTERS/Nick Oxford/File Photo

Oil prices extended gains on Friday, heading for a weekly uptick of more than 4%, as the Ukraine war intensified with Russian President Vladimir Putin warning of a global conflict.
Brent crude futures gained 10 cents, or 0.1%, to $74.33 a barrel by 0448 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 13 cents, or 0.2%, to $70.23 per barrel.
Both contracts jumped 2% on Thursday and are set to cap gains of more than 4% this week, the strongest weekly performance since late September, as Moscow stepped up its offensive against Ukraine after the US and Britain allowed Kyiv to strike Russia with their weapons.
Putin said on Thursday it had fired a ballistic missile at Ukraine and warned of a global conflict, raising the risk of oil supply disruption from one of the world's largest producers.
Russia this month said it produced about 9 million barrels of oil a day, even with output declines following import bans tied to its invasion of Ukraine and supply curbs by producer group OPEC+.
Ukraine has used drones to target Russian oil infrastructure, including in June, when it used long-range attack drones to strike four Russian refineries.
Swelling US crude and gasoline stocks and forecasts of surplus supply next year limited price gains.
"Our base case is that Brent stays in a $70-85 range, with high spare capacity limiting price upside, and the price elasticity of OPEC and shale supply limiting price downside," Goldman Sachs analysts led by Daan Struyven said in a note.
"However, the risks of breaking out are growing," they said, adding that Brent could rise to about $85 a barrel in the first half of 2025 if Iran supply drops by 1 million barrels per day on tighter sanctions enforcement under US President-elect Donald Trump's administration.
Some analysts forecast another jump in US oil inventories in next week's data.
"We will be expecting a rebound in production as well as US refinery activity next week that will carry negative implications for both crude and key products," said Jim Ritterbusch of Ritterbusch and Associates in Florida.
The world's top crude importer, China, meanwhile on Thursday announced policy measures to boost trade, including support for energy product imports, amid worries over Trump's threats to impose tariffs.