Regional News

Bloomberg Saudi Arabia is still aiming to complete both international and domestic portions of the initial public offering of its state oil company in 2018, Oil Minister Khalid Al-Falih said. Asked whether both parts of the IPO will happen next year, Al-Falih said: “Yes of course; it is on track.” He declined to answer questions on whether Chinese investors were …

DHAKA / Reuters Bangladesh Petroleum Corp (BPC) is set to sign a 15-year deal with Indian oil refiner Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) to import gasoil to meet the country’s energy demand, two company officials with the direct knowledge of the matter said. The sales and purchase agreement is expected to be signed on October 22 during Indian Foreign Minister …

Bloomberg Oil extended gains as signs of declining US stockpiles pointed to healthy demand while investors weighed potential disruptions to supply because of global geopolitical tensions. Futures in New York rose as much as 0.6 percent after adding 2.5 percent in the past three sessions. An industry report showed US inventories fell last week, with government data forecast to show …

Bloomberg India’s biggest gas utility plans to use some of the liquefied natural gas it gets from the US to restart three idled fertilizer plants, according to people with knowledge of the matter. State-run GAIL India Ltd. plans to supply the factories in eastern India with more than a third of the LNG it’s contracted to buy from the US, …

DUBAI / LONDON / Reuters China is offering to buy up to 5 percent of Saudi Aramco directly, sources said, a move that could give Saudi Arabia the flexibility to consider various options for its plan to float the world’s biggest oil producer on the stock market. Chinese state-owned oil companies PetroChina and Sinopec have written to Saudi Aramco in …

TUNIS / Reuters Tunisia will raise VAT and other taxes and lay off about 3,000 public sector workers next year in a bid to cut the budget deficit, an economic adviser to the prime minister said. Tunisia will also seek to raise 7.4 billion Tunisian dinars ($3 billion) from foreign loans including 1.4 billion dinars from the sale of bonds, …

Bloomberg The latest battle for Iraq’s future is unfolding around the country’s oldest oil field. Federal government troops pushed back forces from the semi-autonomous Kurdish region with a rapid thrust into Kirkuk province in northern Iraq, breaking a stand-off over the long-disputed area. Baghdad wants to reassert control of the area’s oil deposits from Kurdish fighters, who seized the territory …

Bloomberg Egypt plans to renew a $2 billion financing deal with international banks while also developing alternative sources of funding such as issuing dollar-denominated Eurobonds, Finance Minister Amr El-Garhy said. The repurchase transaction, which international banks offered to increase to $5 billion upon its extension, will remain unchanged in size and probably in duration, El-Garhy said, adding the final details …

Bloomberg Oil demand will grow at a “healthy pace” over the next five years as renewables show the fastest expansion of any type of energy, the head of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries said. Crude demand will climb an average 1.2 million barrels a day through 2022 and slow to 300,000 barrels a day in 2035 to 2040, OPEC …

Bloomberg Crude extended gains from the highest close in two weeks as speculation mounted over potential output disruptions in a region that’s home to Iraq’s oldest producing oil fields. Futures in London rose as much as 1.7% after adding 2.8% last week. Iraqi soldiers seized facilities including a refinery after mobilizing to take fields near the northern city of Kirkuk …