The Argentine government’s plan to develop the massive Vaca Muerta oil and gas reserves in northern Patagonia has hit a major obstacle.

India is seeking investment from Saudi Arabia to build emergency crude reserves that will act as a buffer against volatility in oil prices and supply disruptions for the third-largest oil consumer.

The Saudi plan to expand in the renewable energy sector and diversify partnerships with progressive countries in the field is moving forward.

OGJ - Saudi Aramco has signed a $10-billion agreement to form a joint venture with China North Industries Group Corp. (Norinco) and Panjin Sincen to develop a fully integrated, grassroots refining and petrochemical complex in Panjin, in China’s Liaoning province.

MEOG - The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) has signed a multi-billion-dollar midstream pipeline infrastructure partnership with KKR and BlackRock. Through a newly formed entity, ADNOC Oil Pipelines, ADNOC will lease its interest in 18 pipelines for a 23-year period. ADNOC received upfront proceeds of $4bn from the transaction, which is expected to close in Q3 2019.

AP - The expansion of the regional electricity grid cannot be undertaken without foreign investment, thus presenting a lucrative win-win opportunity for foreign investors. Numbers by the International Energy Agency (IEA) indicate that the region would require US$1.2 trillion in investments between now and 2040 in order to modernise and expand its electricity grids.

REUTERS - On Thursday, the regional price of crude was at a $1.10 a barrel premium to U.S. crude futures, the strongest in more than a year as companies including Parsley Energy, Pioneer Natural Resources, Goodrich Petroleum Corp have pared their exploration budgets, easing the constraints.

REUTERS - Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement to supply Pakistan with crude oil and petroleum products to secure its fuel needs, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said

CNBC - Asked how much BP could spend in Egypt in 2019, Dudley said the amount would be significant. "There will be a third phase we're spending on, we're exploring today with other companies ... (So we'll be spending) $1.8 billion give or take. That's a lot," he said.

BLOOMBERG - Investment in oil and gas production collapsed by about $350 billion, or more than 40 percent, from 2014 to 2016 -- the sharpest contraction since the 1980s -- after crude fell from over $120 a barrel to less than $30, according to the International Energy Agency. The number of new projects approved in 2017 dwindled to the lowest in 70 years, the Paris-based agency said.