Author: Rigs & Barge World

Q: Aramco recently increased its gas growth target to 80% by 2030. Can you outline Aramco’s gas growth strategy and how you plan to achieve it? A: Aramco is currently executing the most ambitious gas programs in its history, with four mega-gas projects and multiple gas discoveries in both conventional and unconventional reservoirs, including Jafurah; currently one of the largest unconventional gas fields in the region. We are also utilizing advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and data-rich planning, to help improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. This combined approach helps Aramco to optimize its gas production and…

Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Karim Badawi,  called for a unified Arab strategy to achieve “mineral sovereignty” during the 10th Consultative Meeting of Arab Ministers Responsible for Mineral Resources. Held on the sidelines of the fifth Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh, the meeting focused on moving beyond raw material extraction toward localizing downstream industries. Badawi emphasized that deeper regional integration is essential for uniting the Arab world’s role in the global energy transition, ensuring that the region’s critical and rare minerals become a pillar of collective economic security, according to a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum and…

Karim Badawi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, joined a high-level ministerial roundtable on January 13 during the fifth edition of the Future Minerals Forum (FMF) in Riyadh to discuss the future of global mineral supply chains. Chaired by Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Al-Khorayef, the session convened over 70 senior officials and global industry leaders to address critical infrastructure financing and sustainability standards, according to a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR). Badawi emphasized that Egypt is actively modernizing its mining legislative framework to attract high-value foreign direct investment (FDI) and…

The Opec+ producer alliance defied expectations in 2025, not merely by sticking to plans to unwind production cuts but significantly accelerating the process. It will be hoping to repeat the trick this year, unwinding the remaining cuts in time to implement a new quota mechanism from January 2027. Turning to the smaller Opec group, production increased to a six-year high of 27.74mn b/d, due to the easing of production cuts and continued recovery from members exempt from cuts (see table). Since the last production peak in 2022, Libya and Iran – both exempt from cuts – and the UAE, which…

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has inaugurated the first phase of the Obelisk solar power project in Qena Governorate, marking a milestone in Africa’s renewable energy landscape. Developed by Norway’s Scatec within 13 months of signing the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), the project represents one of the fastest global executions in the sector. The inauguration marks a significant step in consolidating Egypt’s position as a regional leader in sustainable energy, serving as a flagship initiative under the Nexus of Water, Food, and Energy Program (NWFE), according to a statement by the Cabinet. The first phase delivers 500 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity,…

Saudi Aramco is investing record sums in developing its gas reserves in pursuit of an ambitious gas growth strategy. Last year, the company revised up its gas growth target from 60% to 80% by 2030 (against a 2021 baseline) due to increased expectations of domestic demand requirements. With Aramco the only supplier of gas into the Saudi market, this is creating a huge economic opportunity for the energy giant, which it expects will generate billions in additional cash flow by 2030. Speaking to MEES this week, Aramco’s EVP for Gas, Abdulkarim al-Ghamdi, described the investment case for large-scale gas development…

Egypt has exported 150,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Idku liquefication plant and is headed to Canada via French TotalEnergies’ LNG Endeavour vessel, marking the first shipment of 2026. According to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR), this step supports the country’s role as a regional Hub for gas trading as well as encourages foreign partners to pump more investments for increasing domestic gas production. Parallel to its global trade efforts, Egypt is expanding its regional influence through integrated energy networks. In January 2026, the MoPMR signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Syrian…

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has inaugurated a Chinese technology industrial complex dedicated to manufacturing components for renewable energy projects within the Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), according to a statement by the Cabinet. Located inside the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area (TEDA)  in Sokhna, the $116 million complex marks a strategic milestone in Egypt’s efforts to become a regional hub for green economy industries, aligning with Egypt’s Vision 2030. The inauguration, which took place at the start of the Prime Minister’s tour of the SCZONE, included the launch of two major production facilities. The first, EliTe Solar Suez Technology, focuses on…

In the dead of night on 6 January, the leader of the UAE-backed secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) fled Yemen. Aidarous al-Zubaidi boarded a vessel at the port of Aden and was transported to Somaliland before being flown to Abu Dhabi via Mogadishu, reportedly with the help of UAE Major General Awad al-Ahbabi. The midnight escape marked a dramatic reversal in the fortunes of the UAE-backed STC. Days earlier the group appeared poised to consolidate control over swathes of strategic and oil-rich territories in Yemen’s east, positioning itself to exert leverage on the internationally recognized government (MEES, 5 December 2025).…

US President Donald Trump said he might block Exxon Mobil from investing in Venezuela after its CEO told him the country was currently unsuitable for investment during a previous White House meeting with at least 17 oil executives. Trump said he was unhappy with Exxon’s response and was inclined to keep the company out of Venezuela because of its cautious comments. Exxon’s CEO Darren Woods explained to Trump that Venezuela would need durable investment protections and changes to its laws before it could attract investment, noting the country lacked adequate legal and commercial frameworks. Woods said that restoring investment there…