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Middle East

Aramco eyes oil-to-chemicals project with SABIC

SABIC has previously said the proposed project could cost as much as $30 billion, processing petrochemicals directly from crude oil instead of first refining the oil into products such as naphtha.

India, Iran reach payment deal allowing refiners to buy Iranian crude

HP Editorial Staff: HP News Services

Indian refiners have been holding 55% of the oil payments to Iran after a prior route was halted in 2013. Iran was India's second-largest oil supplier before the recent sanctions.

Saudis raise crude oil pricing for Asian refiners by most in over a year

Refiners may choose to not take full contracted volumes, instead seeking alternative crudes on the spot market or access the large amount of crude stored around the region.

Saudi Arabia’s SABIC targets US shale as leading chemical feedstock

Saudi petrochemicals businesses have benefited in the past from feedstock subsidies that are being phased out as the government looks to bridge a substantial budget deficit after oil's two-year downturn.

Petrochemicals: The changing competitive landscape for GCC ethylene production

Nexant: Shafi, R.  |  Nguyen, T.  |  Platt, R.

Much of the global petrochemical industry is built around the abundant oil and gas reserves of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Business Trends: Global petrochemical overview—Part 2

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

Part 1 of this series provided an overview on the present state of the petrochemical industry, a breakdown on construction project numbers by region, as well as major trends in Africa, the Middle East and the US. Part 2 examines the landscape in Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe and Latin America.

Global Project Data

Hydrocarbon Processing Staff: Nichols, Lee

According to <i>Hydrocarbon Processing’s</i> Construction Boxscore Database, nearly 300 new downstream projects have been announced around the globe over the past year.

Iran secures two more European refiners as customers for its oil

Both refiners bought Iran's oil before sanctions against the country's nuclear program effectively halted its shipments to Europe, which had accounted for more than a third of its exports.

Saudi Aramco sets financing for industrial push

Aramco's board approved an additional equity contribution for its Sadara petrochemical JV with US firm Dow Chemical , the Arabian Sun said, without disclosing the size of the capital injection.

China’s stimulus may briefly boost gasoil margins for Asian refiners

There are two main factors at work that are improving the outlook for the region's major industrial and transport fuel, namely the expectation of stimulus spending in China and refinery maintenance in the region, as well as the Middle East.