Saudi Arabia: LNG ahead
In a reversal of strategy, Saudi Aramco is planning to import natural gas, and maintain current crude oil capacity
For decades, Saudi Arabia insisted that it wouldn't seek natural gas from abroad to boost the volumes produced within the kingdom—in particular it was a firm tenet of former oil minister Ali al-Naimi during his 21 years in the job that there'd be no imports. Now, that strategy has been abandoned. The search is on for a suitable source of liquefied natural gas. Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser, in an interview with Petroleum Economist [to be published in the December/January issue], said the kingdom's plan for the coming decade was to increase the share of domestically produced natural gas in the energy mix from 50% to 70%. But it wanted to supplement these volumes with imports. "We're lo
Also in this section
19 January 2026
Newfound optimism is emerging that a dormant exploration frontier could become a strategic energy play and—whisper it quietly—Europe’s next offshore opportunity
16 January 2026
The country’s global energy importance and domestic political fate are interlocked, highlighting its outsized oil and gas powers, and the heightened fallout risk
16 January 2026
The global maritime oil transport sector enters 2026 facing a rare convergence of crude oversupply, record newbuild deliveries and the potential easing of several geopolitical disruptions that have shaped trade flows since 2022
15 January 2026
Rebuilding industry, energy dominance and lower energy costs are key goals that remain at odds in 2026
