The discussions between Washington and Moscow mark a new twist in global oil diplomacy since a failed deal earlier this month between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russia to cut production ignited a price war that sent oil prices tumbling.

China is boosting U.S. energy imports at a time when the world is swamped with excess supply after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and Russia failed to extend production cuts and as measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus undermined demand.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 410.32 points, or 1.84%, to 21,917.16, the S&P 500 .SPX lost 42.06 points, or 1.60%, to 2,584.59 and the Nasdaq Composite .IXIC dropped 74.05 points, or 0.95%, to 7,700.10.

The preliminary level for dry natural gas production in January 2020 was 2,930 billion cubic feet (Bcf), or 94.5 Bcf/d. This level was 5.9 Bcf/d (6.7%) higher than the January 2019 level of 88.6 Bcf/d.

A group of six U.S. senators wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo this week saying Saudi Arabia and Russia “have embarked upon economic warfare against the United States” and were threatening U.S. “energy dominance”.

U.S. Rig Count is down 44 rigs from last week to 728, Canada Rig Count is down 44 rigs from last week to 54

U.S. primary energy consumption totaled 100 quadrillion Btu, a 1% decrease from 2018. Natural gas consumption increased 3%, renewable energy consumption and nuclear electric power consumption each increased less than 1%, petroleum consumption decreased less than 1%, and coal consumption decreased 14%.

There are 10.4 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar capacity currently under construction across the United States

U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.1 percent in the fourth quarter of 2019

Some US shale producers have been pressuring the Trump administration to intervene in the price war, which broke out after Russia earlier this month declined to go along with an OPEC proposal for production cuts to prop up prices.