Author: Rigs & Barge World

Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, conducted an unannounced visit to the National Natural Gas Grid Control Center (NATA) at the Egyptian Natural Gas Company (GASCO) headquarters. The visit aimed to inspect the operational status of the national natural gas transmission grid and ensure the regular flow of natural gas supplies across the network to various consumption sectors. The Minister emphasized the importance of guaranteeing that the needs of the electricity and industrial sectors are met stably and securely. The visit came in continuation of unplanned field visits to monitor progress at production and operation sites, according to…

Vaalco Energy, a US-based energy company, completed drilling four development wells in the Eastern Desert during the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2025. Three wells were completed during the quarter, with the fourth finished in January 2026. The drilling program included an exploration well in the H-Field in the Eastern Desert, opening a new development area with an initial flow rate of approximately 450 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d). The company also continued interventions, workovers, and optimization activities throughout the fourth quarter of 2025 to enhance production levels. Vaalco expects average production from its activities in Egypt to range…

Aramco’s plans to expand its liquids-to-chemicals capacity to 4mn b/d by 2030 have been deferred, the firm said in its 2025 Annual Report. The company says it is “re-pacing LTC investments,” and now describes the 4mn b/d figure as a “long-term target,” rather than assigning a particular year. Liquids-to-chemicals (LTC) conversion capacity currently stands at 1.8mn b/d, Aramco confirmed, and projects under-development will lift capacity to 2.2mn b/d next year, but the roadmap to 4mn b/d is unclear. The 4mn b/d target was first announced in 2022 (MEES, 25 March 2022) and is a pillar of Aramco’s efforts to diversify…

TotalEnergies reported that production in Qatar, Iraq, and offshore United Arab Emirates (UAE) is either halted or in the process of shutting down, representing around 15% of the company’s total output. Onshore UAE production, estimated at 210,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) (TotalEnergies’ share), remains unaffected by the ongoing regional tensions, according to a statement by TotalEnergies. The company noted that Middle East barrels generate lower cash flow from operations (CFFO) than its portfolio average due to higher taxation, with the affected 15% of volumes accounting for roughly 10% of upstream cash flow. However, TotalEnergies expects 2026 growth to come largely from…

Sitting outside the Strait of Hormuz, the 255,000 b/d Duqm refinery in Oman has escaped largely unscathed from the Iranian onslaught on Gulf energy infrastructure. On 2 March, a suspected Iranian drone hit a fuel tank at the nearby port of Duqm resulting in minor damage, according to Oman’s state news agency, but apart from that it has so far been spared. Most of the Gulf region’s refining capacity is located behind the Strait of Hormuz, and the majority has been shut down since the start of the US-Israeli aerial assault on Iran on 28 February. Iran has responded by…

The US military believes it has significantly neutralized Iranian missile and drone threats by depleting their stockpiles and launchers, though continued strikes against Gulf targets prove Iran retains some capabilities. US and Israeli officials claim to have hit over 6,000 military targets, a blow that could take decades to recover from, given the economic strain of heavy sanctions on Iran’s oil and gas exports.Global tensions escalated when Iran began targeting oil tankers, including those from neighboring Iraq. Despite Iranian denials regarding the mining of the Strait of Hormuz—a transit point for 20% of global oil—most commercial vessels now avoid the…

Refineries in the Gulf Arab states have been taking a beating from Iranian attacks ever since the regional conflict erupted on 28 February. In the first week of the conflict, Iranian drone and missile strikes forced Saudi Aramco to shut down the 550,000 b/d Ras Tanura refinery, the country’s biggest, and Bapco Energies to close Bahrain’s only refinery, the 400,000 b/d Sitra facility. Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said on 10 March that the company is in the process of bringing Ras Tanura back online, but within hours, Abu Dhabi’s 817,000 b/d Ruwais refining complex had been hit in a drone…

As the Gulf conflict wreaks havoc across the region, the United States – this time via the Department of Justice – is continuing to target Iran-affiliated trading firms in the UAE. On 6 March, the DoJ launched a $15mn civil forfeiture complaint against Dubai-based trading firm Wellbred Capital Pte, Ltd and its subsidiary Wellbred Trading DMCC, alleging ties to Mohammad Shamkhani, son of the recently assassinated Iranian military figure Ali Shamkhani. The younger Mr Shamkhani, known as ‘Hector’ in Dubai trading circles, oversaw a slew of large trading firms in Dubai such as Nestwise and Max Energy until western sanctions…

With the conflict in the Gulf set to drag into a third week, Iran remains as resilient as ever and continues to strike high-profile assets in neighboring states. Over the past week, it has caused considerable damage to Fujairah oil storage facilities in the UAE, hit the UAE’s Ruwais refining complex in a drone strike and attacked two tankers offshore Iraq. There remains huge ambiguity over the US’ goals, but it is hard to see how Washington can bring the conflict to a close while Iran continues to damage critical infrastructure and maintain effective control over the Strait of Hormuz.…

Egyptian-UAE firm GoGas Holding has signed a Joint Development Agreement with Madkour Holding Group to establish a combined-cycle power plant in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The facility will be fueled by gas from the offshore Banda Tevet field, which is currently being developed by GoGas. The first phase of the plant is expected to begin generating electricity by the end of 2028, with an initial capacity of 200 megawatt (MW), reaching up to 365 MW. This step marks a major transformation in Mauritania’s energy sector, expanding the national electricity grid and strengthening the country’s role in the West African Power Pool (WAPP),…