WNN - Asian countries continue to dominate the market for new nuclear build, according to a newly-released report from the World Nuclear Association. Of the 10 new nuclear power reactors that started up worldwide in 2016, eight were located in Asia.

Brent crude, the global benchmark, was up 8 cents at $58.41 a barrel by 0646 GMT, after settling on Tuesday up 96 cents, or 1.7 percent. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was trading down 9 cents at $52.38.

Futures edged higher from the settlement in after-market trading in New York, prompted by reports that data from the American Petroleum Institute showed a 5.75 million barrel drop in gasoline last week and 4.95 million fewer barrels of distillate. Meanwhile, OPEC, set to meet next month on prolonging the cuts, are said to be planning how to prevent a new price-killing glut once they end.

"They [big OPEC and Middle Eastern producers] cannot be too ambitious [on their oil price targets]...there's not much [upside] room for them to hope for," Sadamori said. "Once the oil price goes to certain levels, this will stimulate new drilling and investments in North America," he added.

Compliance among OPEC and major non-OPEC producers reached 120% in September, its highest level since the output constraint deal was launched in January, the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee said.

Changing demographics in the population will have far-reaching effects on the labor force, the economy, and employment over the 2016–26 decade. The overall labor force participation rate is projected to decline as older workers leave the labor force, constraining economic growth. The aging baby-boomer segment of the population will drive demand for healthcare services and related occupations.

A group of private-equity investors led by New York-based Global Infrastructure Partners and China’s sovereign wealth fund will acquire a portfolio of Asian wind and solar energy projects from Singapore-based Equis Pte Ltd for $3.7bn.

The S&P/ASX 200 Energy index added 0.7 per cent, with Beach Energy – the recent buyer of Origin Energy’s conventional oil and gas business assets – up 2.8 per cent, Origin up 1.1 per cent and Caltex Australia up 1 per cent.

“Despite the persistence of a challenging market context, Saipem’s performance in the first nine months of 2017 was solid from both an operational and management point of view, enabling the Company to confirm the guidance for 2017. The third quarter saw a downward trend in net debt, a good performance in terms of contract awards in line with the expectations announced with the half-year results, and the full achievement of objectives set by the new Fit for the Future Programme. The presentation of the new name and logo of our conceptual engineering division, “XSIGHT by Saipem”, means that the new Company organization has become fully operational, setting clear targets for improving efficiency and effectiveness”.

Nabors Industries Ltd. ("Nabors" or the "Company") (NYSE: NBR) reported third-quarter 2017 operating revenues of $662 million, compared to operating revenues of $631 million in the second quarter of 2017. The net loss from continuing operations, attributable to Nabors, for the current quarter was $121 million, or $0.42 per diluted share, compared to a loss of $117 million, or $0.41 per diluted share, last quarter.