Saudi Arabia Energy

Increased crude production in Saudi Arabia, combined with rising oil prices, has put the Kingdom on track to generate record annual revenues for the sector, with recent figures from Riyadh-based Jadwa Investments indicating that income could reach a yearly high of $288bn for 2012.

Saudi Arabia is accelerating efforts to take its industrialisation process to the next level, moving from the processing of feedstocks – particularly hydrocarbons – towards utilising the resulting petrochemical materials for the manufacture of finished products. Rising demand on both the national power grid and on raw materials, however, could have an impact on the rate at which new developments are realised.

Saudi Arabia has boosted oil production to near record highs, reaching levels of output and exports not seen since before the global economic crisis. According to official data issued in mid-August by the Joint Organisation Data Initiative (JODI), Saudi Arabia increased its crude oil production from 8.89m barrels per day (bpd) in May to 9.76m bpd in June, with overseas shipments averaging 7.38m bpd, the highest since October 2008.

Saudi Arabia is looking to diversify its domestic power industry away from its existing reliance on fossil fuels by investing heavily to make renewable energy the Kingdom’s central source of electricity, a move that will extend the life of its oil fields, protect export earnings and pay environmental dividends.