Saudi Aramco's new lease of life
Global media attention on Saudi Aramco's bond sale and acquisition of Sabic obscures progress on routine ventures—like a refinery upgrade and new training techniques
Ras Tanura refinery on the Gulf coast is rooted in the history of Saudi Aramco. It began operations in 1945, just seven years after the first commercial discovery of oil in the kingdom-at the Dammam 7 well. In those days, the refining capacity was 60,000bl/d. Today, processing crude oil from the Abqaiq, Safaniya and Manifa oil fields, it stands at 550,000bl/d, and work is under way to upgrade facilities to ensure that Aramco continues to get value from the plant for many years to come. Driving through the 5 km² (1.9 mile²) maze of silver towers and chimneys that make up the refining complex you come suddenly across a construction site and the frame of a large rectangular-fronted building she
Also in this section
10 March 2026
Eni’s director for global gas and LNG portfolio, Cristian Signoretto, discusses how demand will respond to rising LNG supply, and how the company is expanding its own gas and LNG operations through disciplined, capital-efficient investments
9 March 2026
Petroleum Economist analysis sees increases in output from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and Kazakhstan among others before region’s murky descent
9 March 2026
Energy sanctions are becoming an increasingly prominent tool of US foreign policy, with the country’s growth in oil and gas production allowing it to impose pressure on rivals without jeopardising its own energy security or that of its allies, argues Matthew McManus, a visiting fellow at the National Center for Energy Analytics
6 March 2026
The March 2026 issue of Petroleum Economist is out now!
