PLATTS - Japanese imports of crude oil from Saudi Arabia in March rose 3.4% month on month to an average of 1.29 million b/d, preliminary data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry released Friday showed.

PLATTS - Vietnam is estimated to have produced 1.01 million mt (246,777 b/d) of crude oil in April, down 11.8% from the same month last year, according to data released Sunday by the General Statistics Office.

REUTERS - Brent crude futures LCOc1, the international benchmark, had dipped 50 cents, or 0.7 percent, to $74.14 a barrel by 0633 GMT. Prices climbed as high as $75.47 last week, levels not seen since November, 2014. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were at $67.82 a barrel, down 28 cents, or about 0.4 percent, from their last settlement.

STATOIL - Statoil reports adjusted earnings of USD 4.4 billion and USD 1.5 billion after tax in the first quarter of 2018. IFRS net operating income was USD 5.0 billion and the IFRS net income was USD 1.3 billion.

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.

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.

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.