Will Saudi Aramco buy Russian oil and gas equipment?

12.10.2019       

The Saudi Aramco National Oil Company is preparing for Vladimir Putin's visit to Riyadh. Russia, in particular, is actively promoting the construction of a petrochemical plant in Saudi Arabia with the participation of SIBUR, Saudi Aramco, Total and Sinopec. In addition, Saudi Aramco may acquire Novomet, one of the largest Russian oil production pumps. Revenue "Novomet" about 20 billion rubles. About half of them are exports. Shares "Novomet" belong to the company's management, about a third of Rosnano, have shares in the Baring Vostok and Russia Partners funds.
In the professional *** group *** A discussion broke out about the prospects for the supply of domestic engineering products for the development of hydrocarbon deposits in Saudi Arabia. The oil complex in this country is traditionally focused on the use of American equipment, so it will be difficult for Russian machine builders. They remember the Islamic Republic of Iran, which since the reign of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi has been focused on equipment from the United States. Despite the change in course and the political will to move closer to Russia, our machine builders were very poorly represented in the oil and gas complex of this country.
The media reported that Saudi Arabian Military Industries purchased weapons from Russia for more than $3 billion, of which more than $2 billion S-400. The corresponding contract was signed by Rosoboronexport with SAMI. In addition, S-400 anti-aircraft missile systems, Kornet-EM anti-tank missile systems, TOS-1A Buratino heavy flamethrower systems and grenade launchers AGS-30. They write that the production of AK-103 Kalashnikov assault rifles and cartridges for it will begin in Saudi Arabia. But not always military-technical cooperation, cooperation in the nuclear or rocket and space industries, leads to a similar increase in sales of oil and gas equipment. In this regard, according to experts, work with the countries of the Middle East, which are familiar with Soviet oil and gas equipment (Iraq, Syria, Libya, Egypt, etc.) has more prospects.