REUTERS - Schlumberger had initially planned to buy 51 percent in EDC, but decided to scale down its bid. The deal has faced difficulties as relations between Russia and the United States have deteriorated.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 8 rigs from last week to 1,021, with oil rigs up 5 to 825, gas rigs up 3 to 195, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. Canada Rig Count is down 8 rigs from last week to 85, with oil rigs down 5 to 33 and gas rigs down 3 to 52.

REUTERS - Global benchmark Brent crude futures LCOc1 were down 27 cents, or 0.4 percent, at $74.47 a barrel by 0644 GMT, after rising 1 percent on Thursday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 fell 19 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $68 a barrel. The contract gained 0.2 percent the previous session.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - Александр Новак, говоря о перспективах соглашения о балансировке рынка, отметил, что участники рассматривают несколько вариантов дальнейшего сотрудничества. «Главная задача – не создать условия для дисбаланса на рынке», - заключил Министр.

WBG - Oil prices are forecast to average $65 a barrel over 2018, up from an average of $53 a barrel in 2017, on strong demand from consumers and restraint by oil producers, while metals prices are expected to rise 9 percent this year, also on a pickup in demand and supply constraints, the World Bank said.

GAZPROM - Total sales (net of excise tax, VAT and customs duties) increased by RUB 435,092 million, or 7 %, to RUB 6,546,143 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to the year ended December 31, 2016. The increase in sales was mainly driven by an increase in sales of refined products and crude oil.

GAZPROM - According to estimates, Russian gas exports to Austria between January 1 and April 24 exceeded the amount exported in the same period of last year by 79.2 per cent, with 4.2 billion cubic meters of gas delivered to consumers.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - «Россия и Китай имеют большой потенциал снижения энергоемкости экономики и проводят последовательную политику в этом направлении. Сотрудничество по вопросам развития энергоэффективных технологий и обмена опытом в сфере госполитики будет, безусловно, способствовать повышения энергоэффективности в наших странах», - отметил в своем выступлении сопредседатель Рабочей группы с российской стороны Антон Инюцын.

EIA - As Asia-Pacific oil demand continues to grow, some market participants believe the region needs an oil price benchmark based on local supply and demand conditions. Last month marked the beginning of trading for the new Shanghai crude oil futures contract in China. For the Shanghai contract to become an accepted regional benchmark, it will have to attract a wide variety of market participants, and its usage for price discovery must be established.

AOG - Bahrain, recently announced that it had unearthed around 80 billion barrels of unconventional oil and up to 20 trillion cubic feet of tight gas off its west coast. The discovery could potentially transform the island state’s reserves which currently total well under 200 million barrels.