Saudi To Produce Almost Twice More to 2025

According to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies forecast, Saudi Arabia will be able to produce 16 million barrels per day in 2025. Now the kingdom produces 9.5 mln bpd and says it can immediately increase the amount to 11 million bpd, rising to 12.5 million by 2009.

Crude oil refined by Saudi Arabia into products including petrol and heating fuel are mainly for the country's own use, while crude oil is mostly exported.

Faced with strong rises in global demand for crude, notably from China, Saudi Arabia increased its output to 9.5 mln bpd in May.

It has the ability to produce between 1.0 and 1.5 mbpd more immediately but the extra amount would be mostly heavy, sour crude, which refineries abroad find expensive and much harder to turn into other products.