Middle East
Amec Foster Wheeler wins FEED to modernize major SOCAR refinery
The contract, awarded by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR), is part of a major investment to increase the refinery’s capacity and improve the quality of the fuel produced.
PetroRabigh starts expanded Saudi ethane cracker
The expansion will increase ethane processing capacity from 95 million standard cubic feet/day (scfd) to 125 million scfd; boosting capacity to 1.6 MMtpy, according to PetroRabigh.
Kuwait oil, gas workers end three-day strike
Kuwaiti oil and gas workers have ended a three-day strike that had temporarily cut the OPEC member's crude production by nearly half, according to the trade union.
Oman builds industrial outpost in desert with refinery, petrochemicals
The Duqm Special Economic Zone will include an oil refinery, a petrochemical complex, manufacturing operations and warehousing and logistics facilities.
Kuwait lowers crude, refining production as workers strike
Kuwait reduced its crude oil output and refining production as part of an emergency plan to help the OPEC member deal with the largest oil and gas workers' strike in years.
Saudi Aramco, Sinopec’s Yasref refining venture secures $4.7B loan
Yasref, which operates a 400,000-bpd refinery next to the Red Sea, began working at full capacity last July. In December, bankers told Reuters that Yasref was seeking the loan to replace some cash which Aramco had invested to build it, so that Aramco could use the money elsewhere.
Kuwait’s oil workers to push ahead with strike, reject compromise
The union has not said how long the strike, involving thousands of workers at state-run companies, would last. Workers fear the payroll overhaul would reduce salaries and affect other benefits.
Total sees gas, petrochemicals as priority in Iran
"Gas is our priority for us there, and petrochemicals," Total's CEO Patrick Pouyanné told reporters at an international liquefied natural gas conference.
Union: Kuwait’s oil, gas worker strike remains on course for Sunday
"There are no negotiations between the unions and the government over the strike," Farhan al-Ajmi, head of the Petrochemicals Industries Co. workers union, told Reuters.
Saudi Arabia secures $23B deal to supply refined products to Egypt
Saudi Arabia is to provide Egypt with 700,000 tons/month of petroleum products under a $23-billion deal over five years between Saudi Aramco and the Egyptian General Petroleum Corp.
- NAPCOR releases 2024 PET recycling report highlighting system efficiency gains and continued strength of PET circularity 12/12
- OQ courts other partners for petrochemical complex in Oman as SABIC drops out 12/12
- Brazil's BNDES approves $71 MM for carbon storage project 12/12
- Cuba on edge as U.S. seizure of oil tanker puts supply at risk 12/12
- China oil demand to plateau between 2025 and 2030 12/12
- Germany's PCK refinery says no impact from pipeline leak 12/12

