REUTERS - Brent spot crude oil futures dropped 30 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $73.91 a barrel by 0435 GMT, adding to a 1.8 percent loss in the previous session. U.S. crude futures were down 38 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $68.38 a barrel, having dropped nearly 2 percent on Tuesday.

SHANA - Iran exported an average of 2.3 million barrels per day of crude oil to Asian and European countries during the four months. This is while exports for last calendar year's corresponding period stood at 2.115 mbd.

REUTERS - October Brent crude futures were last up 36 cents at $75.12 a barrel by 0902 GMT. The September contract expires on Tuesday. U.S. crude futures were up 78 cents at $69.47 a barrel.

PLATTS - "We [expect] that some 200,000-250,000 b/d, out of the 300,000 b/d cut under the production cut deal, will be restored [this month]," Novak said on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, according to a statement by the ministry's press office.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 2 rigs from last week to 1,048, with oil up 3 to 861, gas rigs down 1 to 186, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. Canada Rig Count is up 12 rigs from last week to 223, with oil rigs up 12 to 154 and gas rigs unchanged at 69.

REUTERS - Brent futures were down 5 cents at $74.49 a barrel by 0319 GMT, after gaining 0.8 percent on Thursday. They are heading for a near 2 percent gain this week, the first weekly increase in four. U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures were 5 cents lower, at $69.56, after rising nearly 0.5 percent in the previous session. The contract is heading for a 1.3 percent weekly loss, a fourth week of declines.

EIA - Capital expenditures for these 46 companies totaled almost $19 billion in the first quarter of 2018, a year-over-year increase of nearly $2 billion (10%). Most of these companies have announced that they expect to increase full-year 2018 capital expenditures from 2017 levels.

PLATTS - China's crude oil imports from the US for July have fallen sharply from June, and are expected to drop even further for August, vessel tracking data showed, as Beijing's tariffs on US crude imports get closer to implementation.

REUTERS - Brent crude was up 54 cents, or 0.7 percent, at $73.98 a barrel by 0318 GMT. The global benchmark settled 38 cents higher at $73.44 a barrel on Tuesday, after climbing to as high as $74. U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose 24 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $68.76, having settled the previous session up 63 cents, or nearly 1 percent.

REUTERS - India, Iran’s top oil client after China, shipped in 5.67 million tonnes, or about 457,000 barrels per day (bpd), of oil, from the country in the first three months of this fiscal year, Dharmendra Pradhan told lawmakers in a written reply.