DMEA - Downstream Middle East & Africa

Daily diesel usage drops 6% in Iran due to anti-smuggling efforts

Iran has cut its daily diesel consumption by nearly 6% compared to last year, largely due to tighter oversight, smart fuel monitoring systems, and reinforced controls to combat fuel smuggling, a deputy oil minister said.

Azerbaijan’s Socar reportedly considering sale of Aegean Sea container port in Turkey

Azerbaijan’s national oil company Socar is mulling a sale of its port unit in Turkey, Bloomberg reported on July 22.

Saudi crude exports continue to increase

Crude exports from Saudi Arabia reached their highest point in May compared to the preceding three months, according to a Reuters report citing data released by the Joint Organizations Data Initiative (JODI) on July 21.

EU and UK sanction Dubai-based operator of Gabon and Comoros ship registries tied to Russian oil exports

Fire occurs as Iran’s Abadan refinery

The Iranian oil ministry’s news agency Shana reported on July 19 that the country’s 500,000 barrel per day (bpd) Abadan refinery had suffered a fire, with one of the plant’s employees passing away before the blaze was contained.

Nigeria: Port Harcourt refinery suffering from funding shortfall, PETROAN says

The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria’s (PETROAN) national public relations officer Joseph Obele revealed this week that Nigeria’s 210,000 barrel per day (bpd) Port Harcourt refinery was yet to resume operations.

Aramco discussing Jafurah-based finance deal with BlackRock

Aramco is reportedly working on a deal to raise approximately $10bn from a consortium led by BlackRock for the infrastructure of its flagship Jafurah gas project

Turkey proposes wider energy and power deal with Iraq, announces end of Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline agreement

Turkey has submitted a draft proposal to Iraq to renew and widen an energy agreement between the two countries to include cooperation in oil, gas, petrochemicals and electricity.

Iran overhauls South Pars refinery to avert winter shortages

Iran has launched a major maintenance programme at its South Pars Phase 10 gas refinery

Deadly blaze contained at Iran’s Abadan refinery

A fire that broke out at Unit 70 of Iran’s Abadan oil refinery, one of the Middle East’s largest refining complexes in the southwestern oil-rich Khuzestan province, was extinguished following hours of “non-stop efforts," a local official said.

Mozambique set to construct new 240,000 bpd refinery

African independent Aiteo has signed a large engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement for a new 240,000 barrel per day refinery in Mozambique.

NNPCL may sell state-owned refineries

Egypt’s record diesel imports deepen Europe’s supply crunch

Egypt has sharply increased its diesel imports to record levels in July 2025, worsening the ongoing supply squeeze across Europe.