ST. LOUIS (AP) — Seiya Suzuki, Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner drove in two runs apiece and the Chicago Cubs jumped out to a seven-run lead after two innings on the way to a 10-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night.
Happ punctuated an 11-pitch at-bat with a two-run double to get the Cubs' scoring started. Pete Crow-Armstrong's sacrifice fly scored Michael Conforto and Suzuki added a double. Michael Busch and Hoerner added RBI singles to make it 7-0, chasing Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy.
McGreevy (4-9) lasted 1 2/3 innings and gave up eight hits and seven earned runs. He walked two and struck out two as the Cardinals lost their third straight game.
Alec Burleson walked and Lars Nootbaar and Masyn Winn singled as the Cardinals loaded the bases in the fourth. Burelson scored on a sacrifice fly by Nathan Church. Winn hit a ground-rule double that plated the Cardinals’ second run of the game in the ninth.
Pedro Ramírez had an infield single that scored Hoerner in the fifth. Suzuki added an RBI single in the eighth, and Carson Kelly drove in a run with a single in the ninth as the Cubs banged out a total of 17 hits.
Cubs starter Colin Rea (8-7) pitched six innings, allowing four hits and an earned run. He struck out two and walked two.
RHP Dustin May (5-7, 4.59 ERA) starts for the Cardinals on Wednesday against LHP Matthew Boyd (6-1, 3.81) .
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Colin Rea throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
Chicago Cubs' Seiya Suzuki hits a double during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Monday, July 27, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ hits a two-RBI double during the first inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Tuesday, July 28, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 29, 2026--
MWG Enterprises, the Fort Worth-based energy development company, Patel Family Office, the third-generation global family office, and PWS, an associate company of one of Saudi Arabia’s longest-established industrial groups AHQ Group, have together launched MERA Oil, a US-Saudi private consortium, and entered the final stage of selecting a host for their planned US$5 billion integrated refinery and energy export corridor.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260728298456/en/
After three years of evaluating locations across the Gulf, the MERA Oil consortium has narrowed the site selection process to three GCC locations outside the Strait of Hormuz. Discussions with the candidate locations have progressed over the past two years and are approaching a decision point, with a preferred host expected to be confirmed by the end of 2026.
While discussions with the three shortlisted locations have reached an advanced stage, the consortium remains open to a decisively superior proposition from another qualifying GCC jurisdiction capable of meeting the project’s route-resilience, infrastructure and development timetable requirements before a final host is selected.
The planned development centres on a 200,000-barrel-per-day integrated refinery linked to deepwater port infrastructure, large-scale storage of crude and refined products, and marine export facilities. Located outside the Strait of Hormuz, the project is designed to provide a route-resilient export platform with direct access to international shipping routes.
Moreover, the project is intended to establish a long-term industrial base that would strengthen manufacturing, logistics, technical capability and energy security in the region.
“Three years of evaluation across the region and two years of detailed engagement with three outstanding locations have brought us to a clear decision point. The sponsor partnership is assembled, the development concept and capital strategy are defined, and we are now choosing our host. The jurisdiction that moves decisively with us in the coming months stands to secure a major new downstream, storage and energy-export platform,” said Marc W. Gunderson, Founder of MWG Enterprises.
The Phase One capital programme of up to US$5 billion is intended to establish a future-ready energy complex incorporating energy-efficient refining technologies and advanced emissions-control systems. Sustainable aviation fuel co-processing and carbon-management capabilities are also being evaluated as potential future components of the project design.
A pre-feasibility study covering refinery configuration, product slate, preliminary capital requirements, logistics and phased execution has reached an advanced stage. Once a host jurisdiction is confirmed, the project is expected to move into final site diligence and engineering design, with mechanical completion of Phase One targeted for the end of 2029, followed by commissioning and commercial operations.
The project aligns with broader efforts across the Gulf to expand domestic refining, storage and export infrastructure. According to the GCC Statistical Centre, the six GCC states exported approximately 11.5 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2024, representing around one quarter of global crude exports.
The product slate is focused on high-specification middle distillates, including ultra-low sulphur diesel and jet fuel, for selected import-dependent markets in the United States, the Atlantic Basin, the Gulf region and other international markets, subject to final engineering and offtake arrangements.
“Expanding domestic value addition remains one of the Gulf’s most important industrial opportunities. More than seven decades of industrial work across the Kingdom have taught us what a project of this kind should leave behind for its host: jobs, local suppliers, technical skill and industrial capacity that endures, in step with the region’s national visions. We look forward to concluding this process with the jurisdiction best placed to move quickly and deliver,” said Abdulmalik Alqahtani, Group Chief Executive Officer of AHQ Group.
For the eventual host jurisdiction, the planned Phase One development represents a major industrial investment spanning refining, storage, port and logistics infrastructure.
The project is expected to be developed on approximately 1,200 to 1,500 acres of port-connected industrial land. It is designed to create long-term economic value through local sourcing, engineering opportunities, workforce development and industrial capability building aligned with national In-Country Value frameworks.
The development is expected to support up to 3,000 direct roles at peak across construction, commissioning and operations, together with up to 15,000 indirect and induced employment opportunities, based on preliminary sponsor estimates.
“This is multigenerational infrastructure, and it has to be structured to institutional standards from the outset: sound governance, a balanced capital structure built to hold for decades, and a transparent partnership with the host government. Patel Family Office is engaging sovereign and institutional partners who share that outlook,” said Lakshmi Narayanan, Vice Chair of Patel Family Office.
The MERA Oil consortium is engaged in discussions with feedstock providers within and beyond the GCC, with definitive arrangements expected to progress alongside the final host selection.
The planned Phase One capital programme is expected to draw on sponsor equity, sovereign and institutional participation, international project finance, export-credit support and Shariah-compliant financing structures.
About MERA Oil
MERA Oil is the dedicated project platform for a consortium of three leading investors.
MWG Enterprises is a Fort Worth, Texas-based energy development company founded by entrepreneur Marc W. Gunderson, drawing on more than 30 years of experience across the Texas oil and natural gas sector.
Patel Family Office is a privately held, third-generation family office investing across three continents with a long-term focus on energy, infrastructure and industrial platforms.
PWS is an associate company of AHQ Group. AHQ Group is a diversified Saudi Arabian industrial conglomerate with more than seven decades of operating history across oil and gas services, manufacturing, logistics and industrial sectors.
Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements concerning a proposed development, including potential investment amounts, processing capacity, financing structures, employment estimates, markets and project timelines.
These statements reflect current intentions and remain subject to site selection, engineering studies, environmental review, government approvals, financing arrangements and final investment decision. Actual outcomes may differ materially.
This announcement is provided for general information only and does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any security, sukuk or other financial instrument in any jurisdiction.
Pictured from left to right: Lakshmi Narayanan, Vice Chair of Patel Family Office; Marc W. Gunderson, Founder of MWG Enterprises; and Abdulmalik Alqahtani, Group Chief Executive Officer of AHQ Group
