April 2018

REUTERS - Uzbekistan plans to join an $8 billion project to build a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on Monday, although it was unclear whether Tashkent might eventually ship gas through it.

REUTERS - Egypt aims for foreign investment in the oil and gas sector to reach about $10 billion in the 2018/19 fiscal year that begins in July, Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla said

REUTERS - BP (BP.L) has a “very strong” partnership with Russian oil giant Rosneft (ROSN.MM) but will steer away from politics, Chief Executive Officer Bob Dudley said on Tuesday, as Moscow could face new western sanctions.

SHELL - Shell has signed an agreement to sell its Downstream business in Argentina to Raízen for US$0.95 billion in cash proceeds at completion, subject to customary closing conditions. The sale includes the Buenos Aires Refinery, around 645 retail stations, liquefied petroleum gas, marine fuels, aviation fuels, bitumen, chemicals and lubricants businesses, as well as supply and distribution activities in the country. Additionally, after the transaction closes, the businesses acquired by Raízen will continue their relationships with Shell through various commercial agreements, which represent an estimated value of US$0.3 billion.

HALLIBURTON - Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) announced income from continuing operations of $46 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2018.

REUTERS - Brent crude futures were down 49 cents at $73.57 a barrel by 0911 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 51 cents to $67.89 a barrel.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - страны ОПЕК и государства, не входящие в ОПЕК, выполнили соглашение по добровольной корректировке объемов добычи нефти на 149%, что является самым высоким показателем в истории соглашения.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - «Активная позиция позволила обеспечить консенсус ведущих стран-производителей нефти по вопросу реализации «венских соглашений» о добровольной корректировке добычи нефти. Рынок видит успехи наших усилий по сокращению объемов запасов и реагирует позитивным образом", - отметил Александр Новак.

API - the American Petroleum Institute reported that U.S. petroleum demand reached 20.6 million barrels per day (MBD) last month, the highest level since 2007. To satisfy demand, domestic refineries utilized 91.5 percent of their capacity – a record for the month of March – and processed 17 MBD of oil and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The U.S. also produced a record 10.4 MBD of crude oil plus another 3.9 MBD of NGLs.

PLATTS - India ended the first quarter of 2018 with robust oil products demand growth of 8.5%, the fastest quarterly growth since Q3 2016, as a renewed push on infrastructure projects and surging auto sales lifted gasoline and gasoil consumption.