PLATTS - Japan's LNG imports slipped 2.6% year on year to 7.9 million mt in March with imports from Papua New Guinea dropping, Ministry of Finance data released Thursday showed. PNG LNG had shut its plant after a massive earthquake hit the region on February 26. Japan's imports from PNG fell 65.7% from a year ago to 145,580 mt, or about two cargoes, in March.

SHELL - Compared with the first quarter 2017, CCS earnings attributable to shareholders excluding identified items increased by $1.6 billion, mainly driven by higher contributions from Integrated Gas and Upstream, partly offset by lower earnings in Downstream. Cash flow from operating activities for the first quarter 2018 was $9.4 billion, which included negative working capital movements of $0.9 billion, compared with $9.5 billion in the first quarter 2017, which included negative working capital movements of $1.6 billion. Total dividends distributed to shareholders in the quarter were $4.0 billion.

NOV - National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE: NOV) today reported a first quarter 2018 net loss of $68 million, or $0.18 per share. Revenues for the first quarter were $1.80 billion, a decrease of nine percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2017 and an increase of three percent from the first quarter of 2017. Operating loss for the first quarter of 2018 was $1 million, or 0.1 percent of sales, and Adjusted EBITDA (operating profit excluding depreciation, amortization, and other items) was $160 million, or 8.9 percent of sales. Other items were a net credit of $12 million, pre-tax, primarily from the reversal of certain accruals, partially offset by restructure charges and severance payments.

REUTERS - Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 were at $73.89 per barrel at 0455 GMT, up 3 cents from their last close but around $1.60 below the November-2014 high of $75.47 a barrel reached the previous day. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were flat at $67.7 63 per barrel, but off the late-2014 highs of $69.56 a barrel marked earlier in April.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - Министры как сопредседатели Смешанной межправительственной Российско-Турецкой комиссии по торгово-экономическому сотрудничеству обстоятельно обсудили весь комплекс двусторонних торгово-экономических отношений, включая сельское хозяйство, промышленность, инвестиционно-банковскую и энергетическую сферы, в частности актуализировали статус совместных стратегических проектов, таких как строительство газопровода «Турецкий поток» и АЭС «Аккую».

REUTERS - Russia was China’s largest crude oil supplier in March, data showed on Tuesday, retaining the lead spot for a 13th consecutive month.

SHANA - Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh says Iran is currently exporting upwards of 2.5 million barrels per day of crude oil and gas condensate (ultra-light form of crude).

SHANA - A senior Iranian gas official said the country’s natural gas exports will cross 60 million cubic meter per day by the end of the current Iranian calendar to March 20 2019.

REUTERS - global liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports have risen 40 percent since 2015, to almost 40 billion cubic meters (bcm) a month. Growth accelerated in 2017, with imports up by a fifth, largely because of rising demand in China, but also in South Korea and Japan.

REUTERS - Uzbekistan plans to join an $8 billion project to build a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on Monday, although it was unclear whether Tashkent might eventually ship gas through it.