Requests via the Velke Kapusany border point in Slovakia were around 512,056 megawatt hours (MWh) per day, down from 856,922 MWh per day earlier on Thursday, data from Slovakian operator TSO Eustream showed.

"We will cooperate to reduce Europe's dependency on energy supplies from Russia and to ensure diversification of energy supply sources, and acknowledge the need for investments to achieve this."

Russia supplied about 40% of the European Union’s gas demand last year, and about a third of that transited Ukraine, making it a linchpin in the continent’s energy security.

The Worldwide Rig Count for April was 1,603, down 58 from the 1,661 counted in March 2022,and up 414 from the 1,189 counted in April 2021.

U.S. Rig Count is up 7 from last week to 705 , Canada Rig Count is down 4 from last week to 91.

"Due to the fact that the Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipeline is currently not in use, and taking into account the implementation of gas supply for consumers in northwest Russia, Gazprom has decided to use the excess onshore gas transmission capacity of Nord Stream 2 for the development of gas supply to the regions of northwest Russia," Gazprom said in a statement.

China’s LNG imports averaged 10.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), a 19% increase compared with 2020.

U.S. Rig Count is up 3 from last week to 698 , Canada Rig Count is down 6 from last week to 95.

Gas distributors in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Slovakia are planning to open rouble accounts at Gazprombank in Switzerland in order to satisfy a Russian requirement for payments in its own currency

"To pay in rubles -- if this is not foreseen in the contract -- is a breach of our sanctions. We have about 97% of all contracts that explicitly stipulate payments in euros or dollars," she said.