Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $59 per barrel (b) in August, down $5/b from July and $13/b lower than the average from August of last year. EIA forecasts Brent spot prices will average $60/b in the fourth quarter of 2019 and $62/b in 2020. EIA forecasts that West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices will average $5.50/b less than Brent prices in 2020.

“Мы считаем, что к 2024 году за счет применения стимулирующих мер можно увеличить объем инвестиций в ТЭК на 40% и довести до почти 7 трлн рублей”, - сказал Александр Новак.

In June 2019, for the 26th consecutive month, dry natural gas production increased year to year for the month. The preliminary level for dry natural gas production in June 2019 was 2,735 billion cubic feet (Bcf), or 91.2 Bcf/d. This level was 9.4 Bcf/d (11.5%) higher than the June 2018 level of 81.8 Bcf/d.

Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) affirmed the Ba2 corporate family rating of Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. - PETROBRAS (Petrobras). Simultaneously, Moody's raised the company's baseline credit assessment (BCA) to ba2 from ba3. The actions were triggered by the company's continued success in improving its credit metrics and liquidity position. The rating outlook is stable.

Rosneft's 1H 2019 Net income jumped by 9% YoY to RUB 325 bln, including by 1.5 times QoQ to RUB 194 bln

Total U.S. petroleum demand averaged 20.8 million barrels per day (mb/d) in July 2019, which represented a 0.9% year-over-year increase and the highest demand for the month since 2005,

For the first seven months of 2019, Chinese crude throughput rose 5.6% from a year earlier to 369.73 million tonnes, or 12.73 million bpd, the NBS reported.

For the six months of 2019 LUKOIL Group's average hydrocarbon production excluding the West Qurna-2 project was 2,352 thousand boe per day, which is 2.8% higher year-on-year. The increase was mainly driven by the development of gas projects in Uzbekistan, as well as oil production growth in Russia due to change in terms of the external limitations of Russian companies' production volumes.

U.S. natural gas demand is rising as power generators shut coal plants and burn more gas for electricity and as rapidly expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals turn more of the fuel into super-cooled liquid for export.

Aramco signed a letter of intent to take a 20% stake in Reliance’s oil-to-chemicals business in one of the largest ever foreign investments in India, Reliance announced.

The new cost estimate of $60 billion for the refinery was given to Saudi Arabia’s energy minister Khalid al-Falih at a meeting with Indian Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last month in New Delhi, said the four sources familiar with the talks between the two ministers.

Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $64 per barrel (b) in July, almost unchanged from the average in June 2019 but $10/b lower than the price in July of last year. EIA forecasts Brent spot prices will average $64/b in the second half of 2019 and $65/b in 2020. The forecast of stable crude oil prices is the result of EIA’s expectations of a relatively balanced global oil market. EIA forecasts global oil inventories will increase by 0.1 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2019 and 0.3 million b/d in 2020.

BP and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) announced that they have agreed to form a new joint venture that will include a retail service station network and aviation fuels business across India. Building on Reliance's existing Indian fuel retailing network and an aviation fuel business, the partners expect the venture to expand rapidly to help meet the country's fast-growing demand for energy and mobility.

ADNOC and CNOOC signed an agreement to collaborate in the upstream and downstream oil and gas sector

ADNOC has signed an agreement with Indonesia's state energy company Pertamina to collaborate in both countries and internationally. Indonesia' foreign ministry said that the partnership could be worth up to $2.5bn.