(Reporting by Ashitha Shivaprasad and Seher Dareen in Bengaluru; Editing by David Goodman and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
(Adds detail on crude exports and production, context)
March 16 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's crude oil exports
rose nearly 3% in January to a three-month high, data from the
Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI) showed on Thursday.
The country's crude exports rose to 7.66 million barrels per
day (bpd) in January from 7.44 million bpd in December.
The world's largest oil exporter's crude production was
slightly up at 10.45 million bpd from 10.44 million bpd in
December.
Monthly export figures are provided by Riyadh and other OPEC
members to JODI, which publishes them on its website.
Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco on Sunday reported
a record annual net profit of $161.1 billion for 2022, up 46%
from the previous year on higher energy prices, increased
volumes sold and improved margins for refined products.
Saudi's domestic crude refinery throughput fell to 2.577
million bpd in January, and direct crude burn fell 165,000 bpd
to 312,000 bpd.
Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser said on Sunday that the
oil market would remain tightly balanced in the short to medium
term, adding that he was cautiously optimistic.
Meanwhile, global crude oil production fell to a
seven-month low, driven by declines in Canada, Iraq, Russia, and
Bahrain, the International Energy Forum said, citing JODI data.
Kuwait's oil minister told state news agency (KUNA) that
efforts by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and
their allies, known as OPEC+, to stabilize oil markets through a
unanimously agreed production cut were wise.
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