ALKHOBAR: Tecnicas Reunidas has offered the lowest bids to build two gas projects which are planned by Saudi Aramco, sources familiar with the plans said on Monday.
While the Spanish engineering firm has made the lowest bids on the Haradh and Hawiyah gas compression stations and the Hawiyah gas plant, Italy’s Saipem and Samsung E&C are also well placed to win the Hawiyah gas plant work, they said.
The new gas compression plants and the expansion of the Hawiyah gas plant are expected to cost more than $4 billion, industry sources have estimated.
Saudi Aramco does not comment on its business transactions, it said in response to an emailed request for comment.
Tecnicas Reunidas declined to comment, while Saipem had no comment and a spokesman for Samsung Engineering said it had no new information on the
bidding progress.
“We expect results to be announced (at the) beginning of November,” he said.
Hawiyah and Haradh are part of Ghawar, the world’s largest onshore oilfield.
Gas will play a key role in the diversified energy mix which Saudi Arabia is keen to achieve by cutting the use of crude oil and liquids for power generation, while allocating more gas to fuel economic growth and industrialization.
The Kingdom is targeting raising the use of gas in its energy mix to 70 percent, officials have said.
Despite falling oil prices, Saudi Aramco is pushing ahead with oil and gas projects that it has highlighted as a priority for the long term to keep the world well supplied with oil, while meeting domestic gas demand.
It plans to nearly double gas production to 23 billion standard cubic feet a day in the next decade.
Spanish company leads bidding for Aramco gas projects
Spanish company leads bidding for Aramco gas projects
Silver crosses $77 mark while gold, platinum stretch record highs
- Spot silver touched an all-time high of $77.40 earlier today, marking a 167% year-to-date surge driven by supply deficits
- Spot platinum rose 9.8% to $2,437.72 per ounce, while palladium surged 14 percent to $1,927.81, its highest level in over 3 years
Silver breached the $77 mark for the first time on Friday, while gold and platinum hit record highs, buoyed by expectations of US Federal Reserve rate cuts and geopolitical tensions that fueled safe-haven demand.
Spot silver jumped 7.5% to $77.30 per ounce, as of 1:53 p.m. ET (1853 GMT), after touching an all-time high of $77.40 earlier today, marking a 167% year-to-date surge driven by supply deficits, its designation as a US critical mineral, and strong investment inflows.
Spot gold was up 1.2% at $4,531.41 per ounce, after hitting a record $4,549.71 earlier. US gold futures for February delivery settled 1.1% higher at $4,552.70.
“Expectations for further Fed easing in 2026, a weak dollar and heightened geopolitical tensions are driving volatility in thin markets. While there is some risk of profit-taking before the year-end, the trend remains strong,” said Peter Grant, vice president and senior metals strategist at Zaner Metals.
Markets are anticipating two rate cuts in 2026, with the first likely around mid-year amid speculation that US President Donald Trump could name a dovish Fed chair, reinforcing expectations for a more accommodative monetary stance.
The US dollar index was on track for a weekly decline, enhancing the appeal of dollar-priced gold for overseas buyers.
On the geopolitical front, the US carried out airstrikes against Daesh militants in northwest Nigeria, Trump said on Thursday.
“$80 in silver is within reach by year-end. For gold, the next objective is $4,686.61, with $5,000 likely in the first half of next year,” Grant added.
Gold remains poised for its strongest annual gain since 1979, underpinned by Fed policy easing, central bank purchases, ETF inflows, and ongoing de-dollarization trends.
On the physical demand side, gold discounts in India widened to their highest in more than six months this week as a relentless price rally curbed retail buying, while discounts in China narrowed sharply from last week’s five-year highs.
Elsewhere, spot platinum rose 9.8% to $2,437.72 per ounce, having earlier hit a record high of $2,454.12 while palladium surged 14% to $1,927.81, its highest level in more than three years.
All precious metals logged weekly gains, with platinum recording its strongest weekly rise on record.
