1. Iraq: New Government, Old Problems

    ...Adil Abd al-Mahdi was confirmed as Iraqi Prime Minister late on 24 October as he managed to secure parliamentary approval for the bulk of his cabinet nominees. His predecessor Haidar al-Abadi is undeniably bequeathing Mr Abd al-Mahdi a more stable situation than the one he inherited in 2014 (ME...

    Volume: 61
    Issue: 43
    Published at Fri, 26 Oct 2018
  2. Services Firms: Mideast Growth Picks Up, But US Slows

    ...-track to have mobilized 25 rigs by the end of the year.” This is certainly a boost for the kingdom as its rig count has averaged 115 during the first nine months of 2018, the lowest since 2014. Mideast revenue gains were “partially offset by lower hydraulic fracturing activity as a major contract wa...

    Volume: 61
    Issue: 43
    Published at Fri, 26 Oct 2018
  3. Upstream Costs: Can Services Firms Get Majors To Split The ‘Rent’?

    ...Global oilfield services firms say their margins have to rise. Majors are adamant they will keep down costs. Can the circle be squared? The collapse in oil prices from the second half of 2014 led majors to take an ax to what they acknowledge had been bloated capex budgets. From $196bn in 20...

    Volume: 61
    Issue: 43
    Published at Fri, 26 Oct 2018
  4. Suez Canal Trade Hits Records But Trade War Threatens

    ...uthbound shipments of both crude and LNG. Revenues, up 10% year-on-year, are on track to smash 2014’s record $5.465bn. But a dip in container shipments hints at the global trade headwinds. The Suez Canal saw oil shipments of 4.70mn b/d in the first nine months of 2018, up over 9% year-on-year and on tr...

    Volume: 61
    Issue: 43
    Published at Fri, 26 Oct 2018
  5. Will Saudi Geopolitical Crisis Derail PIF Plans, 2030 Vision?

    ...sinesses do ultimately retrench from doing business with Saudi Arabia, who could fill the void? Russia and Saudi Arabia, the world’s two largest oil exporters, have been forming closer ties since the collapse of the oil price in 2014; they now coordinate production under the ‘Opec+’ format. The Russian Di...

    Volume: 61
    Issue: 43
    Published at Fri, 26 Oct 2018