Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Saudi Arabia Is Losing Oil-Market Share


Financial Times: Saudi Arabia loses oil market share to rivals in key nations

World’s largest oil exporter suffers setback amid low prices

Saudi Arabia lost market share in more than half of the most important countries it sold crude to in the past three years, even as the kingdom increased output to record levels.

The world’s biggest oil exporter lost ground to rivals in nine out of 15 top markets between 2013 and 2015, including China, South Africa and the US, according to an analysis of customs data.

Saudi Arabia set itself a goal in late 2014 of maintaining its crude market share amid a glut that prompted a collapse in oil prices, but the imports data compiled by FGE, an energy consultancy, suggest the country’s strategy suffered setbacks in some of its key customer countries last year.

Other data show that Saudi Arabia achieved a limited increase in global market share in 2015 compared to 2014, although last year’s figure was lower than that recorded in 2013.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I would not count them out. On a side note .... some oil producing countries are now thinking that going to OPEC is becoming a waste of time .... FACTBOX-Oil producers to take part in Doha's April meeting (Reuters).

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