SUMMARY

• Aramco's energy trading unit IPO faces a slowdown, according to insiders
• Aramco Trading merged with Motiva Trading, creating Aramco Trading Americas
• Middle Eastern producers ramp up trading efforts to recover from 2014 oil price collapse

Chill out and get ready for some interesting news, folks. So, Saudi Aramco's been working on an initial public offering (IPO) for its energy trading unit, right? Well, two people in the know have just spilled the beans that things are moving a bit slower than expected.

Remember when Bloomberg mentioned that the IPO might be postponed? Yeah, that info came from some pretty well-informed people. Now, let's take a trip down memory lane to June last year when Reuters reported that Aramco would merge Aramco Trading with Motiva Trading (the one with the biggest refinery in the U.S.) before the IPO.

Fast forward to January, and the deal's done. Motiva Trading transforms into Aramco Trading Americas, acting as the regional office for Aramco Trading. Pretty cool, huh?

So, why are these Middle Eastern producers upping their trading game? Well, they're looking for a sweet cash boost after the 2014 oil price crash. They've been gradually stealing market share from oil bigwigs and Swiss commodity traders, using their feedstock access and refining prowess to keep the competition fierce.

Even though Aramco's share of U.S. oil imports has shrunk over time (due to their focus on Asia and U.S. shale output growth), refiner Motiva remains a crucial player for Saudi crude and its gateway into the world's largest oil-consuming market.

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