Aramco reassesses priorities
An income squeeze is forcing upstream delays and a reappraisal of the company’s downstream portfolio
The revelation by state oil heavyweight Saudi Aramco in early August that second-quarter profits had slumped by almost three-quarters on the back of the oil price collapse and its deep production cut response was accompanied by similarly predictable news that capex would end up at the southern end of guidance. Spending had already been lowered to $25-30bn in March. Two weeks after the results were released, the company announced the creation of a new division dedicated to “portfolio optimisation”—signalling the intent to review its increasingly sprawling and internationalised downstream business and potentially also to consider the partial asset sales mooted by its chairman six months before
Also in this section
24 December 2025
As activity in the US Gulf has stagnated at a lower level, the government is taking steps to encourage fresh exploration and bolster field development work
23 December 2025
The new government has brought stability and security to the country, with the door now open to international investment
23 December 2025
A third wave of LNG supply is coming, and with it a likely oversupply of the fuel by 2028
22 December 2025
Weakening climate resolve in the developed world and rapidly growing demand in developing countries means peak oil is still a long way away
