PLATTS - Moscow also hopes to have its 55 Bcm/year Nord Stream 2 pipeline and its 31.5 Bcm/year TurkStream link ready to flow gas to Europe by the end of 2019, leaving only limited volumes for transit via Ukraine.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 7 rigs from last week to 1,055, with oil rigs up 7 to 867, gas rigs unchanged at 186, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 2. Canada Rig Count is up 22 rigs from last week to 226, with oil rigs up 15 to 148 and gas rigs up 7 to 78.

ROSNEFT - Under the Agreement the parties plan to build over 160 CNG stations in Russia and the possibility of using LNG as natural gas motor fuel is being discussed.

GAZPROM - A working meeting between Alexey Miller, Chairman of the Gazprom Management Committee, and Seung-Il Cheong, President and Chief Executive Officer of KOGAS, took place at the 4th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.

GULF TIMES - HE Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohammed bin Saleh al-Sada affirmed that Qatar’s large gas reserves require an expansion effort, adding this is why Qatar has decided to increase this sector’s growth by 30%.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is unchanged from last week at 1,048 rigs, with oil rigs down 2 to 860, gas rigs up 2 to 186, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 2. Canada Rig Count is down 24 rigs from last week to 204, with oil rigs down 18 to 133 and gas rigs down 6 to 71.

U.S. EIA - The United States exported 7.3 million barrels per day (b/d) of crude oil and petroleum products in the first half of 2018, when exports of crude oil and hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL) set record monthly highs. Crude oil surpassed HGLs to become the largest U.S. petroleum export, with 1.8 million b/d of exports in the first half of 2018. U.S. exports of crude oil, HGLs, and motor gasoline grew in the first half of 2018 compared with the same period in 2017, while distillate exports decreased 84,000 b/d

PLATTS - Russian natural gas flows to western and central Europe recovered strongly in August -- after a dip in July because of pipeline maintenance -- as demand for Russian gas remained buoyant to meet demand from both the power and storage sectors,

FT - Higher energy prices and a weakened rouble saw second-quarter profits soar at three of Russia’s largest oil and gas groups, underlining a strong earnings season for the country’s energy industry that has weathered international sanctions to reap strong earnings.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 4 rigs from last week to 1,048, with oil rigs up 2 to 862, gas rigs up 2 to 184, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 2. Canada Rig Count is down 1 rig from last week to 228, with oil rigs down 2 to 151 and gas rigs up 1 to 77.