Issue 34

Oil & Gas

• Aramco Receives Bids For Hawiyah Gas Plant Expansion, Targets Gas Supply Boost
• Saudi Raises $3.5bn Sukuk
• Algeria Pushes For Late-2017 Gas Start-Ups
• Total Expands With Maersk Purchase

Transportation

• Algeria On Track For $11bn Deficit Despite Gas Export Boost

Refining & Petrochemicals

• Kuwait: Al-Zour Re-Award But Delay Likely
• Oman Appoints Project Manager For Duqm Refinery

Power & Water

• Saudi Electricity Taps $1.75bn Loan For Capacity Expansion

OPEC

• GCC Currencies: To Peg Or Not To Peg?

Geopolitical Risk

• Algeria PM Sacked As Tebboune Bites Off More Than He’s Allowed

Corporate

• UAE Joins Saudi In Taking A Pop At Fizzy Drinks
• Saudi Reserves Fall To New 6-Year Low Of $495bn At End-July But Rate Of Decline Eases (Sama Net Foreign Assets, $Bn End-Period)
• Oman Taps Abu Dhabi For Wind Farm Cash

Economics & Finance

• Oman Set To Shrink Deficit, But Not By Much

Selected Data

• Taiwan 1H17 Crude Imports ('000 B/D): Middle East Share Down, Saudi Volumes At Multi-Year Low, Iraq The Big Winner
• Taiwan 1H17 LNG Imports: Qatar Continues To Lose Market Share, With Volumes Down 20% Year On Year
• Spain 2Q17 Crude Imports (‘000 B/D): Imports From Libya On The Rise, Up 79% On Year-Ago Levels
• Benchmark Crude Prices ($/B)
• Saudi Oil Stocks: Crude Stocks Have Fallen By 73mn Barrels (22%) Since Peaking In October 2015, But Products Stocks Remain At Near-Record Levels (Mn Bl, End Period)