Saudi Arabia to retain upstream dominance
6 March 2025
This package also includes: Offshore oil and gas sees steady capex
Globally, the total production of oil and gas from active, announced and planned fields is projected to increase moderately in the 2025-30 outlook period.
The Middle East is poised to lead global oil and gas production by 2030, owing to its extensive reserves, significant investments in infrastructure and favourable government policies, according to a recent report by GlobalData.
North America is expected to follow closely, propelled by the shale revolution, technological advancements and substantial investments in infrastructure, says the Global Upstream Production and Capital Expenditure Outlook, 2025-30 report.
The US is slated to maintain its position as the global leader in oil and gas production until 2030. The exploitation of shale resources through hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling has unlocked reserves that had previously been deemed uneconomical, significantly contributing to production growth.
Furthermore, the US benefits from a mature and sophisticated energy sector that is adept at leveraging technological advancements to optimise production.
Saudi Aramco is positioned to spearhead globally with an anticipated total oil and gas production entitlement of 14.9 million barrels of oil equivalent a day in 2030 from both existing fields and those that have been announced or planned. Expansion projects at the Zuluf offshore oil field and the Jafurah gas field will enable the kingdom to boost its production, GlobalData forecasts.
Crude and condensate output
Globally, the crude and condensate from active, announced and planned fields is projected to decline slightly during the 2025-30 outlook period, mainly due to maturing oil fields, stringent environmental regulations and the shift to renewables, among other factors.
The anticipated decline in production is expected to occur in several regions. The notable exception to this trend is South America, where crude output is projected to increase, primarily as a result of expected production increases in both Brazil and Guyana.
On the country level, the US is anticipated to lead global crude and condensate production by 2030, driven by advances in technology, infrastructure investments, shale production and increasing global energy demand.
Following closely, Russia and Saudi Arabia, with their extensive oil reserves and significant investments in oil infrastructure, are poised to maintain prominent positions in the market.
Brazil is expected to contribute 15% of the global crude and condensate production from planned and announced fields, or 1.89 million barrels a day (b/d) in 2030. The upcoming development of the Bacalhau oil field and blocks nine, 11 and 12 of the Buzios (formerly Franco) oil field, is expected to contribute to the country’s increase in liquid production, the report says.
Saudi Aramco is anticipated to be the global leader in crude and condensate
production entitlement, with a projected total output of 11.8 million b/d in 2030 from its producing, planned and announced fields.
Russia’s Rosneft is expected to follow with a production level of 4 million b/d. Brazilian state-owned Petroleo Brasileiro SA (Petrobras) is expected to be the largest producer of crude and condensate production from announced and planned projects with 1,002 million b/d in 2030.
US-based ExxonMobil and state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation are the other key players in terms of crude and condensate production.
Gas production
Natural gas production from active, announced and planned fields globally is projected to increase significantly during the 2025-30 outlook period, due to its role as a bridge fuel in the energy transition, as well as the escalating global demand for gas, its extensive industrial use, the expansion of liquefied natural gas infrastructure and ongoing technological advancements in gas extraction and production.
The US is expected be the leading country in terms of gas production in 2030 from producing, planned and announced fields. This is thanks to the nation’s vast array of gas resources, encompassing both shale gas and associated gas from oil operations. Moreover, the US benefits from rising global demand for natural gas.
Following closely, Russia is anticipated to be a major contributor, bolstered by major investments in gas infrastructure. The Kharasaveiskoye, Geofizicheskoye and Kruzenshternskoye gas fields are key upcoming greenfield projects in terms of natural gas production in the country.
Gazprom is anticipated to spearhead globally with the highest natural gas production entitlement, encompassing producing, planned and announced fields.
Other major companies include the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) and China National Petroleum Corporation, with respective production entitlements of 33.5 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) and 17.4 billion cf/d in 2030.
Gazprom is anticipated to become the world’s leading producer of natural gas, with a projected output of 10.1 billion cf/d by 2030 from its planned and announced projects. Following closely are the NIOC and QatarEnergy, with expected production levels of 8.8 billion cf/d and 6.7 billion cf/d, respectively, by 2028.
Offshore oil and gas sees steady capex
Register for MEED's guest program now to access this article.
Exclusive from Meed
-
Egypt signs $420m Gabal El-Zeit wind agreements10 June 2026
-
-
Saudi Arabia and Turkiye sign railway agreements10 June 2026
-
-
All of this is only 1% of what MEED.com has to offer
Subscribe now and unlock all the 153,671 articles on MEED.com
- All the latest news, data, and market intelligence across MENA at your fingerprints
- First-hand updates and inside information on projects, clients and competitors that matter to you
- 20 years' archive of information, data, and news for you to access at your convenience
- Strategize to succeed and minimise risks with timely analysis of current and future market trends
Related Articles
-
Egypt signs $420m Gabal El-Zeit wind agreements
10 June 2026
Egypt has signed agreements worth $420m for the investment, operation and power purchase of the 580MW Gabal El-Zeit wind power complex in the Red Sea region.
Gabal El-Zeit 1 has a capacity of 240MW, while Gabal El-Zeit 2 and 3 have capacities of 220MW and 120MW, respectively.
The agreements were signed between Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) and Dubai-based Alcazar Energy.
Under the agreements, Alcazar Energy will invest in, operate and manage the farms through a project company established under Egyptian law.
The company will be responsible for technical operations, maintenance and efficiency upgrades while maintaining a minimum capacity of 580MW throughout the contract period.
The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company will purchase the electricity generated by the plant.
The agreements follow earlier efforts to privatise the Gabal El-Zeit wind complex, involving a deal with UK-headquartered private equity firm Actis.
According to the Egyptian government, the project supports the country’s state ownership policy and national energy strategy, which aim to increase the share of renewable energy in the electricity mix to 45%.
The Gabal El-Zeit area on Egypt’s Red Sea coast is one of the country’s most established wind power development zones. The latest Gabal El-Zeit wind farm was completed in 2014, according to MEED Projects data. Germany’s Siemens Gamesa was the main contractor.
> Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17170360/main.jpg -
Majid Al-Futtaim awards $545m Ghaf Woods contract to ECC
10 June 2026
Majid Al-Futtaim Properties has appointed Engineering Contracting Company (ECC) as the main contractor for the Capria East, Capria West and Maravelle Residences developments at its Ghaf Woods community in Dubai, in a deal valued at AED2bn ($545m).
The contract covers the construction of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and duplex residences across the two Capria clusters.
The award adds to a series of major construction contracts Majid Al-Futtaim has issued across its Dubai communities in recent years.
In May, local contractor Al-Sahel Contracting was awarded a AED700m contract for the Distrikt development, also at Ghaf Woods.
In 2024, Majid Al-Futtaim awarded AED3bn in contracts for its Tilal Al-Ghaf community, appointing Innovo Build to build 94 waterfront villas at Elysian Mansions and United Engineering Construction (Unec) to deliver 130 villas at the Alaya development.
> Be recognised among the best in the industry at the MEED Projects Awards 2026 …
https://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17170744/main.jpg -
Saudi Arabia and Turkiye sign railway agreements
10 June 2026
Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access
Saudi Arabia and Turkiye have signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the railway and logistics sectors, advancing Riyadh’s ambitions to become a global logistics hub.
Transport and Logistics Services Minister Saleh Al-Jasser and Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu signed the agreements at the ministry’s headquarters in Riyadh on 9 June, following ministerial talks held with a high-level Turkish delegation. Transport General Authority president Fawaz Al-Sahli and officials from the kingdom’s transport and logistics sector were also present.
Agreement scope
The first MoU covers logistics services and operations, including the exchange of expertise, policies and regulations. The second focuses on railway technologies, signalling and communication systems, railway digitalisation, human capacity development, the localisation of the railway industry and measures to reduce the sector’s environmental impact.
More broadly, the agreements cover cooperation on railway standards and related innovations, the exchange of expertise on the design, operation and maintenance of rail projects, and engineering, infrastructure and safety standards.
The two sides will also cooperate on research and development, with provision for joint workforce training through specialist railway academies.
Riyadh said the agreements will help support its National Strategy for Transport and Logistics Services and Saudi Vision 2030, which seeks to position the kingdom as a logistics bridge connecting three continents.
Turkish projects
Turkish contractors have already established themselves as key players in the region’s rail sector. In 2012, Yapi Merkezi secured a $2.1bn contract for work on the Haramain high-speed rail network in Saudi Arabia, while Turkish firms Mapa and Limak are leading the ongoing civil works on Dubai’s $5.5bn Metro Blue Line project as part of a China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) consortium. Turkish consultancy Proyapi Muhendislik ve Musavirlik Anonim Sirketi has also won design contracts for the 111km Kuwait National Rail Road project.
The agreements signed by Saudi Arabia and Turkiye may also give momentum to longstanding discussions around a rail corridor linking the GCC with Turkiye. The route, which has been discussed for years, has gained renewed impetus in recent months as the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed regional governments to accelerate the development of overland trade alternatives.
READ THE JUNE 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFGCC looks beyond the Strait; Iraq’s reform window narrows as fiscal assumptions shatter; MEED Top 100 companies.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the June 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf races to reroute trade> EXPORT ROUTES: Regional war boosts oil and gas pipeline project activity> CURRENT AFFAIRS: UAE’s Opec departure fulfils multiple ends> MEED TOP 100: Middle East stocks recover unevenly> LEADERSHIP: Building the infrastructure that makes net zero possible> TRADE DEAL: UK-GCC trade deal talks concludeTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17169958/main.gif -
Joint venture tenders Algeria field development contract
10 June 2026
Register for MEED’s 14-day trial access
Hassi Bir Rekaiz Group (GHBR), which operates Algeria’s Hassi Bir Rekaiz field, has issued a tender for phase 2A of the asset’s field development project.
GHBR is a joint venture of Algeria’s national oil and gas company Sonatrach and Thailand’s national exploration and production company PTTEP.
The scope of the contract focuses on the “provision of engineering and supervision services”, according to documents published by Sonatrach.
The tender has been issued with a bid deadline of 16 June 2026.
In May, GHBR signed a $1.1bn contract for phase two of the Hassi Bir Rekaiz development project.
The contract was won by a consortium of Egypt’s Petrojet and Italian engineering and contracting company Arkad.
Petrojet’s portion of the project was estimated to be worth around $600m, and Arkad’s portion was estimated to be worth $500m.
The contract used the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning model.
The scope of the project contract is focused on the construction of a central processing facility (CPF) capable of processing crude oil and associated gas.
It also includes developing off-plot pipelines, as well as related utilities and infrastructure.
The CPF will have the capacity to process 32,000 barrels a day (b/d) and will be designed to support future expansions.
The related infrastructure will include an extensive pipeline network spanning approximately 217 kilometres, as well as a road network.
READ THE JUNE 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFGCC looks beyond the Strait; Iraq’s reform window narrows as fiscal assumptions shatter; MEED Top 100 companies.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the June 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf races to reroute trade> EXPORT ROUTES: Regional war boosts oil and gas pipeline project activity> CURRENT AFFAIRS: UAE’s Opec departure fulfils multiple ends> MEED TOP 100: Middle East stocks recover unevenly> LEADERSHIP: Building the infrastructure that makes net zero possible> TRADE DEAL: UK-GCC trade deal talks concludeTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17163750/main3325.jpg -
Algeria extends deadline for urea-formaldehyde project
10 June 2026
Algeria’s national oil and gas company Sonatrach has extended the bid deadline for a project to develop a new concentrated urea-formaldehyde unit in its Arzew industrial zone.
The latest bid deadline is 15 June.
The contract uses the engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning model, and the bid deadline for technical tender submissions was originally set for early April.
The condensed urea-formaldehyde unit will be located at the CP1-Z facility.
The CP1-Z facility began operations in 1975 and has a capacity of 152,000 tonnes a year. It produces products including methanol, resin and formol.
It is a two-phase tender. The first phase is a technical bid submission, and the second phase is a commercial bid submission.
To be eligible to win this contract, companies must specialise in petrochemical industrial installation projects.
They also need to have a share capital of at least $7m and more than 15 years of relevant experience.
The new unit, UFC85, will have the capacity to produce 40,000 metric tonnes of concentrated and condensed urea-formaldehyde annually.
The project’s scope also includes the development of auxiliary equipment and installations.
Urea-formaldehyde has a wide range of uses, including the production of laminates, textiles and paper.
In the wood industry, it is used as a thermosetting adhesive to bond wood to create plywood and particleboard. In agriculture, urea-formaldehyde is widely used as a slow-release fertiliser.
READ THE JUNE 2026 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFGCC looks beyond the Strait; Iraq’s reform window narrows as fiscal assumptions shatter; MEED Top 100 companies.
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the June 2026 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> AGENDA: Gulf races to reroute trade> EXPORT ROUTES: Regional war boosts oil and gas pipeline project activity> CURRENT AFFAIRS: UAE’s Opec departure fulfils multiple ends> MEED TOP 100: Middle East stocks recover unevenly> LEADERSHIP: Building the infrastructure that makes net zero possible> TRADE DEAL: UK-GCC trade deal talks concludeTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/17163657/main.jpg