2018

REUTERS - Australia’s government expects the nation’s resource and energy exports to hit a record of A$252 billion ($182 billion) in 2018-2019, buoyed by climbing prices for commodities such as natural gas and by a weaker Australian dollar.

SHELL - Shell Canada Energy, an affiliate of Royal Dutch Shell plc (“Shell”), today announced it has taken a final investment decision (FID) on LNG Canada, a major liquified natural gas (LNG) project in Kitimat, British Columbia, Canada, in which Shell has a 40% working interest. With LNG Canada’s joint venture participants also having taken FID, construction will start immediately with first LNG expected before the middle of the next decade. Shell’s 40% share of the project’s capital cost is within the company’s current overall capital investment guidance of US$25-$30 billion per year.

EQUINOR - Equinor has signed an agreement to acquire Chevron’s 40% operated interest in the Rosebank project, one of the largest undeveloped fields on the UK Continental Shelf (UKCS).

THE GUARDIAN - Backers of mini nuclear power stations have asked for billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to build their first UK projects, according to an official document.

REUTERS - Benchmark Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 rose to as much as $83.32 a barrel on Wednesday and were at $83.09 at 0335 GMT, still 36 cents, or 0.4 percent above their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were up 19 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $73.44 a barrel.

REW-2018 - Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the plenary session ‘Sustainable Energy for a Changing World’ during the Russian Energy Week International Forum.

U.S. EIA - US oil production average 10.964 million b/d in July. Production in July was up 1.73 million b/d from July 2017. U.S. natural gas production average 100,243 million cubic feet per day. Production in July was up 11,093 mcfd from July 2017.

PLATTS - Japan's crude oil imports from Iran jumped 65% year on year in August, marking the fourth consecutive month of increase, according to government trade data released Thursday.

REUTERS - China’s Sinopec Corp is halving loadings of crude oil from Iran this month, as the state refiner comes under intense pressure from Washington to comply with a U.S. ban on Iranian oil from November, said people with knowledge of the matter.

SHANA - The National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) CEO explicitly said his company, the sole producer of hydrocarbons in Iran, had no plans to reduce its output.