In Aramco's footsteps
Kuwait's government wants to follow Saudi Arabia's and sell off some state energy assets. The move will face opposition
Weak oil prices and the loss of 250,000 barrels a day of production from the Neutral Zone have prompted the Kuwaiti authorities to consider partly privatising bits of its energy sector. Neutral Zone output, shared with Saudi Arabia, stopped in May 2015 because of a dispute between Kuwait and the kingdom. No final decision has been taken on privatisation, and any move will probably meet objections from Kuwaiti parliamentarians and the media. The idea of selling off subsidiaries of the state energy company, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), was first mooted in early July by Khalifa Hamada, undersecretary at the finance minister, on the basis that "oil prices have dropped and indicators show
Also in this section
5 March 2026
Gas is a central pillar of Colombia’s energy system, but declining production poses a significant challenge, and LNG will be increasingly needed as a stopgap. A recent major offshore gas discovery offers hope, but policy improvements are also required, Camilo Morales, secretary general of Naturgas, the Colombian gas association, tells Petroleum Economist
4 March 2026
The continent’s inventories were already depleted before conflict erupted in the Middle East, causing prices to spike ahead of the crucial summer refilling season
4 March 2026
The US president has repeatedly promised to lower gasoline prices, but this ambition conflicts with his parallel aim to increase drilling and could be upended by his war against Iran
4 March 2026
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed following US-Israel strikes and Iran’s retaliatory escalation, Fujairah has become the region’s critical pressure release valve—and is now under serious threat
