The remit of the worlds biggest crude producer has grown beyond hydrocarbons
Saudi Aramco is the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia. It is a giant of the energy world that employs more than 61,000 workers in 77 countries, and is headquartered in Dhahran in the oil-rich Eastern Province.
Its remit is to be a stable supplier of hydrocarbon resources, moving deeper into the value chain to produce petrochemical products, build export refineries and advance the development of cleaner fuels. None of this will divert the worlds most valuable integrated company away from its core oil and gas business, where it remains the worlds biggest crude producer this year, with about 10.4 million barrels a day (b/d) in production.
The company is adapting to the downturn in oil prices. Its board has endorsed a strategic framework that will see it stay the course to pursue its 2020 strategic intent of transforming into the worlds leading integrated energy and chemicals company, allowing for short-term, tactical adjustments along the way.
Structural changes
Aramco has been subject to an organisational change this year, with its formal separation in May from the Ministry of Petroleum & Mineral Resources. Under King Salman bin Abdulazizs restructuring, the oil firm will report to a new Supreme Council for Saudi Aramco that will be charged with overseeing the organisation. Chaired by the powerful Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, it takes over the role the oil ministry previously undertook.
The body held its first meeting in Jeddah in mid-September 2015, confirming then interim CEO Amin Nasser as the permanent president and CEO. He replaced Khalid al-Falih, who was named health minister earlier in the year.
This seismic change in the governance of the kingdoms petroleum industry prepares the ground for the retirement of Ali al-Naimi, the kingdoms oil minister.
Sustaining capacity
Aramco will maintain its project focus on sustaining production capacity of 12.5 million b/d. Its main oil field project will add 300,000 b/d to the 1.2 million-b/d Khurais field adjacent to the Ghawar oil field. The Khurais expansion, as well as the planned increase of 250,000 b/d at the Shaybah field in the Empty Quarter, will relieve pressure on other fields. In the future, unconventional gas will make a significant contribution to Aramcos plans to increase gas production.
Key Saudi Aramco projects | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Project | Budget ($m) | Status | Award year | Due |
Jizan refinery IGCC power plant | 8,500 | Execution | 2014 | 2018 |
Yanbu refinery expansion | 7,000 | Study | 2017 | 2021 |
Arabiyah-Hasbah development: Hasbah sour gas field expansion | 3,200 | Main contract bid | 2016 | 2019 |
Fadhili gas plant: gas central processing facility package 1 | 2,500 | Main contract bid | 2015 | 2019 |
Ras Tanura refinery Clean Fuels Project: package 1 | 2,000 | Main contract PQ | 2016 | 2019 |
Khurais increment programme: central processing facilities | 2,000 | Execution | 2014 | 2020 |
Fadhili gas plant: sulphur recovery unit package 3 | 2,000 | Main contract bid | 2015 | 2019 |
Fadhili gas plant: offsites and utilities package 2 | 2,000 | Main contract bid | 2015 | 2019 |
Shale gas development: system C | 2,000 | Study | 2016 | 2019 |
Ajyal residential development: 2,400 villas | 1,800 | Execution | 2015 | 2020 |
IGCC=Integrated gasification combined-cycle; PQ=Prequalification. Source: MEED Projects |
In the early 2000s, Aramco had no petrochemicals presence, but it has since diversified downstream. This will continue apace, with megaprojects such as PetroRabigh and the $20bn Sadara Chemical joint venture in Jubail aimed at substantially increasing the kingdoms heavy industrial sectors. The idea behind the investments is to use Saudi Arabias already sizeable refinery resources.
Mission creep
The state oil companys mission creep has seen it take on more responsibilities, a reflection that Aramco is viewed as the most capable state entity in the kingdom.
In the future, unconventional gas will make a significant contribution to plans to increase gas production
This year it announced plans to form a project management company that will target the SR600bn ($160bn) of government infrastructure projects planned for Saudi Arabia over the next decade. It will form the company in partnership with up to five international project management firms, and then sell its services to other government bodies in Saudi Arabia that are developing infrastructure.
The announcement in July that Aramco will oversee the building of 11 football stadiums across Saudi Arabia highlights the growing remit of the company beyond its core business areas. There now appear to be few areas of the economy where Aramco will not extend its reach.
The organisation is likely to make further outreaches to commercial lenders in the next year, having depleted its capital reserves through an extensive portfolio of project activities in the past decade. In early 2016, Aramco sought out banks for a $10bn revolving credit facility. Given its need to continue pumping and bringing on new fields in order to meet the Opec target of keeping global markets well supplied, new capital injections will be needed.
You might also like...
European finance in place for Tunisia Bizerte bridge
29 March 2024
HZI takes on Dhafra waste energy EPC contract
29 March 2024
Policy designates Masdar, Adnoc as hydrogen coinvestors
29 March 2024
Waste energy projects find relevance
29 March 2024
A MEED Subscription...
Subscribe or upgrade your current MEED.com package to support your strategic planning with the MENA region’s best source of business information. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package.