Abu Dhabi Firm Buys Stake In Australia’s Swala Energy

The deal, valued at $2.9 million, is Hayaat Group’s first investment in East African oil exploration.

Bahrain To Double Diesel Prices By 2017 To Cut Subsidy Burden

The price will rise to 120 fils ($0.32) per litre next Jan. 14, to 140 fils in Jan 2015, 160 fils in Jan 2016 and 180 fils in Jan 2017.

Qatar To Boost European LNG Sales As Gas Trades At 7-Year High

Qatari shipments to Europe under medium- or long-term contracts will rise 22 per cent in 2014, the biggest jump since 2009.

Saudi Oil Minister Says Market Fears Oil Shortages

Al- Naimi played down any suggestion the Kingdom was ready to cut production to accommodate increased supply.

Saudi’s SEC Signs $366m Japanese-Backed Loan For Jeddah Power Plant

The facility, funded by Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ and Mizuho Financial Group, is part of a wider $2 billion finance package for the Jeddah South project.

Surging Saudi Fuel Use A Bigger Threat Than US Shale Oil

The growing domestic demand for hydrocarbons, exacerbated by low prices, is the key long-term challenge faced by the Kingdom, said Jadwa Bank.

TAQA Receives UK Approval For North Sea Development

The Morrone field is expected to initially produce over 3,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.

BP Signs Deal To Develop $16bn Oman Shale Gas project

The Khazzan gas project aims to extract around one billion cubic feet (bcf) per day of gas from deep under central Oman.

Saudi PetroRabigh Says Marketing Fee Deal To Boost Revenue

The petrochemical company is a joint venture between oil giant Saudi Aramco and Sumitomo Chemical.

Kuwait To Secure $1.4bn Financing For Major Power Project

The Az-Zour North Power and Desalination project is Kuwait’s first public-private partnership.

UAE’s TAQA To Cut Abu Dhabi Staff By 16%

The energy company hopes that the staff-cuts will result in a saving of over $20 million in 2014.

Total Inks Deepwater Drilling Deal Offshore Oman

The exploration program is expected to begin with seabed coring in 2014.

IEA Boosts 2014 Global Oil Demand Forecast On US Recovery

The International Energy Agency estimated that oil demand will increase by 1.2 million barrels a day next year.

Qatari Oil, Gas To Have Limited Impact On GDP Growth

The IMF forecast in November Qatar’s oil GDP would grow just 0.4 per cent in 2013 and decline by 1.1 per cent next year.

OPEC Cuts Output Closer To 2014 Demand, Upbeat On Economy

OPEC expects demand for its oil in 2014 to average 29.57 million barrels per day.

Saudi Aramco Said to Supply Full January Crude Volume to Europe

Aramco has the option to reduce monthly sales volumes to term buyers.

Gulf Firms Consider Bid For Occidental MidEast Stake

Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Co, Qatar Petroleum and Oman Oil Co have formed a consortium.

EU Scraps Duty On Jet Fuel Imports

European demand for jet fuel totaled 1.2 million barrels per day last year, of which one third was imported, mostly from the Middle East.

Dubai Expo 2020 Needs $100m Solar Spending

Dubai has set itself a target to generate half the additional power needed to run the Expo from renewable resources.

Saudi Arabia Nov Output Steady, Pumps 9.745m Bpd

The Kingdom cut production in October after pumping at record rates of around 10 million bpd for three months.

Turkey Says Qatar Interested In Afsin-Elbistan Power Project

The United Arab Emirates dropped out of the coal-fired power plant project earlier this year.

OPEC Seen Keeping Oil Cap; Naimi Says Market in Best Shape

The current 30 million barrel-a-day target for the 12-nation group adequately matches demand, say officials.

Dubai Mercantile Exchange Sets New Trading Records

Almost 7.5 million barrels of crude oil per day were recorded in November this year.

Solar Power Use Will Provide Local Market Opportunities

Use of solar energy for the Middle East’s growing power needs will create strong localisation potential.

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Abu Dhabi Energy Fund IPIC H1 Net Profit Up 6.7%

IPIC, which owns stakes in companies such as Spain’s Cepsa and Austria’s OMV, made a net profit of Dhs3.2 billion.

Gulf Oil Exporters Battle For Asian Buyers

The competition will become even stronger if sanctions on Iran are lifted in coming months.

Iran To Reassert Authority At OPEC After Nuclear Deal

Western sanctions imposed in 2012 on Iran for its nuclear programme have cost the country its market share in OPEC.

ACWA-Led Consortium To Finance, Build Saudi Rabigh 2 Power Plant

The project will deliver 2060 megawatts of electricity to SEC under a 20-year agreement

Saudi Aramco Denies Suffering Another Cyber Attack

In August 2012 Aramco suffered an attack on 30,000 computers.

Petrofac-Daelim JV Wins $2.1bn Oman Contract

The three-year contract includes engineering, procurement, construction, start-up and commissioning services at a refinery in Sohar.