Page 12 - MEOG Week 30

MEOG
neWs in brieF
MEOG
of $16 billion to $18 billion for the 2019-2023 period.
Norwegian rival Equinor said on ursday that it intends to cut 2019 spending.
total added that the global oil environment remained volatile at the start of the third quarter, with uncertainty over demand growth.
Its European re ning margins, while still volatile, increased early in the third quarter and its downstream business should bene t from restarting the Grandpuits and Leuna re neries in France and Germany respectively.
total said it expects oil and gas output growth to surpass 9% this year.
It rewarded shareholders by increasing its second interim dividend by 3.1% from last year to 0.66 euros per share, in line with a targeted 10% increase for 2018-2020, with Pouyanne telling analysts that the company would continue to increase its dividend a er 2020.
reuters
oiL
US private military
companies plunder Syrian
oil facilities – Russian
General
US private military companies numbering over 3,500 personnel are plundering Syrian oil facilities under the cover of the international anti-terror coalition’s aircra , Head of the Russian General Sta ’s Main Operational Department, Colonel-General Sergei Rudskoi told a Defense Ministry press brie ng on Monday.
“Aside from training militants, the US structures in Syria are involved in plundering
oil facilities and deposits in the area across
the Euphrates that belong to the legitimate Syrian government. Lately, US private military companies have been observed to actively beef up their personnel. today, the mercenaries of the private military companies in Syria exceed 3,500 people,” the Russian general stressed.
Speci cally, the US military structures have organized the production and sale of Syrian oil from the Conaco, al-Omar and tanak oil elds located east of the Euphrates River, the Russian general pointed out.
“A criminal scheme of Syrian crude cross- border deliveries is in e ect. Actually, Syrian national wealth is being plundered,” Rudskoi stated.
A considerable part of revenues from
the hydrocarbon smuggling is spent on maintaining illegal armed formations, bribing sheikhs of tribal unions and instigating anti- government sentiments, according to the Russian general’s data.
“All this activity by US private military companies is conducted under the cover
of the international anti-terror coalition’s aviation. In actual fact, this is smuggling business seized by the Americans from the IS [the former name of the Islamic State terrorist organization outlawed in Russia],” Rudskoi explained.
e US incessant deliveries of armament and military hardware to the area across the Euphrates also cause concern, the Russian general added.
“In exchange for assistance in oil smuggling, the United States is bee ng up both Kurdish and Arab formations with arms and they subsequently use them against each other,” Rudskoi said, adding that “all these factors are only exacerbating the situation in the war-torn region.”
e US military are training up to 2,700 militants from di erent groups at the al-tanf base in Syria, according to Rudskoi.
“Within the 55-km zone around al-tanf,
US instructors are training a large armed formation, Magavir al-Saura, and some small militant groups for the so-called Army of Arab tribes. e militants’ total numerical strength is 2,700 men,” the Russian general reported, providing footage obtained from drones.
A part of the militants trained at the al-tanf base is being airli ed by US combat helicopters beyond the Euphrates, the Russian general added.
“ e most trained saboteurs are being delivered to the territories controlled by the government troops to destabilize the situation and prevent the strengthening of the Syrian government’s positions there,” Rudskoi commented.
e basic goals of the militants trained
by the US military instructors are to carry
out subversive operations, destroy Syrian oil and gas infrastructure facilities and conduct terrorist attacks against government troops, he pointed out.
“Such groups have been spotted in the areas of the communities of al-Suwayda, Palmyra and Abu Kamal,” the Russian general speci ed.
e US military base near the settlement of al-tanf is located at the junction of the borders of Syria, Iraq and Jordan. It also embraces the 55-km zone around the town. tass
serviCes
JDC receives contract extension for rigs in Qatar
Japan Drilling Co. (JDC) this week announced a contract extension for two of its jack-up drilling rigs.
Hakuryu-10 and Hakuryu-12, both operated by JDC’s subsidiary company Japan
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Week 30 30•July•2019