Saudi Aramco has launched a wide range of strategic business collaborations with Russian companies with the signing of 5 MoUs covering many areas of energy and manufacturing sectors and innovation.
The MoUs were signed as part of the Royal visit to Russia by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
The MoUs inlcude:
* MOU with Saudi Public Investment Fund and Russian Direct Investment Fund – Investment in Energy Services & Manufacturing: The MoU will pave way for new business development in the energy value chain, oilfield services and manufacturing, the Ras Al Khair maritime yard development and potential partnerships in the Energy Industrial City developed by Saudi Aramco.
* MOU with Gazprom – Gas Collaboration: The MoU will enable Saudi Aramco and Gazprom, Russia’s premier gas company to develop a significant business portfolio in international upstream gas, allowing the introduction of new vendors and suppliers to the kingdom’s market. Among the elements of the MoU are LNG trade, LNG value chain and exploration / development as well as product storing.
* MOU with LITASCO – Trading Collaboration: The MoU will see collaboration with Swiss-based LITASCO (the international marketing and trading arm of Lukoil) which will give Saudi Aramco and the kingdom access to Mediterranean refineries where Russian companies have been expanding. The proximity of the Mediterranean with the Red Sea provides an important strategic supply point to the kingdom.
* MOU with Gazprom Neft – Technology and R&D collaboration: The MoU with Gazprom Neft will involve technology and R&D collaboration as well as training.
* MoU with Russian Direct Investment Fund and SIBUR – Strategic marketing for petrochemicals: The MoU will enable all parties to jointly evaluate potential opportunities for cooperation in the petrochemicals sector, including marketing of petrochemicals products, both on in Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, Amin H Nasser, Saudi Aramco CEO said the rich endowment of resources of both Saudi Arabia and Russian can enable companies from both countries to collaborate in creating synergies for a sustainable energy future with business and operational initiatives driven by technology, research and innovation.
He also provided strategic insights on the future of energy and how Saudi Arabia and Russia could pool their sizable resources together in driving the global energy transformation by factoring in alternative energy which can complement oil’s existing preeminence, particularly gas and downstream / chemicals.
Nasser stressed that all these could only be achieved with technology, research and innovation.
Saudi Aramco considered this as key drivers of future success, and Saudi Aramco’s goal is to be a world-leading creator of energy and chemical technologies.
«We have already established 8 research centres around the world that complement our main research facilities in Saudi Arabia. Considering Russia’s considerable strengths in science and technology, as well as highly talented researchers, scientists and engineers, we are exploring collaboration in R&D field,» he said.
Trading, according to Nasser, would also be an integral enabler to the strategic partnership with Russian entities involving opportunities in and refined products swaps, trading logistics, shipping and storage facilities, and new market venturing.
«Considering the large oil and gas resources possessed by our 2 countries, we also have a common interest in strengthening oil’s position and there are numerous to collaborate in these areas,» he said.
