PLATTS- US refiners cannot rely on Mexico to replace Venezuelan heavy oil imports as the country is battling to reverse its declining production and Pemex's oil is sold under contractual basis, analysts and others say.

U.S. EIA - U.S. crude oil production rose to a new high of 11.9 million barrels per day in November, up 345,000 bpd from the previous month,

OGJ - US crude oil inventories for the week ended Jan. 25, excluding the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, increased by 900,000 bbl from the previous week, data from the US Energy Information Administration showed.

EIA - In November 2018, for the 19th consecutive month, dry natural gas production increased year to year for the month. The preliminary level for dry natural gas production in November 2018 was 2,646 billion cubic feet (Bcf), or 88.2 Bcf/d. This level was 9.2 Bcf/d (11.6%) higher than the November 2017 level of 79.0 Bcf/d. The average daily rate of dry natural gas production for November was the highest for any month since EIA began tracking monthly dry natural gas production in 1973.

BLOOMBERG - Saudi Arabia expects to reduce oil output once again in February and pump for six months at levels “well below” the production limit it accepted under OPEC’s oil-cuts accord, Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih said.

PLATTS - China consumed 280.30 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2018, up 18.1% year on year, the National Development and Reform Commission said on its website late Thursday. The natural gas consumption growth in 2018 outpaced the growth rate of 15.3% in 2017 and 6.6% in 2016, respectively, according to the NDRC's historical data, implying China's increasing demand for natural gas.

U.S. FRB - Consistent with its statutory mandate, the Committee seeks to foster maximum employment and price stability. In support of these goals, the Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 percent.

PLATTS- Germany added almost 3 GW of solar capacity last year, the highest annual figure since 2013 and 68% more than 2017, German solar association BSW said Thursday. Total installed solar PV capacity was 45.929 GW by end-2018, with 377 MW added in December alone.

SHELL - Compared with the fourth quarter 2017, CCS earnings attributable to shareholders excluding identified items of $5.7 billion mainly benefited from higher realised oil, gas and LNG prices as well as stronger contributions from crude oil and LNG trading, partly offset by movements in deferred tax positions. Full year earnings of $21.4 billion also reflected higher realised oil, gas and LNG prices, partly offset by movements in deferred tax positions.

SHELL - Royal Dutch Shell plc (the ‘company’) announces the commencement of trading in the third tranche of its share buyback programme previously announced on July 26, 2018. In the third tranche, the company has entered into an irrevocable, non-discretionary arrangement with a broker to enable the purchase of A ordinary shares and/or B ordinary shares for a period up to and including April 29, 2019.

CONOCOPHILLIPS - Full-year 2018 earnings were $6.3 billion, or $5.32 per share, compared with a full-year 2017 net loss of $0.9 billion, or ($0.70) per share. Excluding special items, full-year 2018 adjusted earnings were $5.3 billion, or $4.54 per share, compared with full-year 2017 adjusted earnings of $0.7 billion, or $0.60 per share.

BHGE - “2018 marked BHGE’s first full year as a combined company and it was a year of significant change and progress for us. We moved beyond the initial integration phase into the next chapter for BHGE. In November, our majority shareholder, GE, reduced their ownership from approximately 62.5% to approximately 50.4%, and we reached critical commercial agreements with GE that position our company for the future. The market environment changed significantly as we progressed through the year. ” said Lorenzo Simonelli, BHGE Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

REUTERS - U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $53.43 per barrel at 0644 GMT, up 12 cents, or 0.2 percent, above their last settlement. International Brent crude oil futures rose 21 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $61.53 per barrel.

OGJ - “The sanctions will affect refinery margins in the US. Now they will have to import heavy crude from the Middle East at a premium. US refiners will be amongst the biggest losers, as we have noted earlier,” Rodriguez-Masiu said.

PLATTS - The Trump administration announced Monday that it will sanction PDVSA, Venezuela's state-owned oil company, a move that could suspend roughly 500,000 b/d of Venezuelan crude exports to US Gulf Coast refineries and shut down US exports of diluents to the South American nation.