After testing a 12-year low, the price of oil simply has to go up.That’s according to the chief executive officer of shipping and oil giant A.P. Moeller-Maersk A/S, who says 2015’s average crude price of $54 a barrel is too low for the industry to produce enough oil to satisfy global demand.

Mining and exploration investment declined 35% in 2015, the second largest year-over-year decline since the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) began reporting the series in 1948.

BP and Oman Oil today signed a heads of agreement with the Government of the Sultanate of Oman committing to amend the Oman Block 61 exploration and production sharing agreement (EPSA), extending the licence area of the block and enabling a further development of the major Khazzan tight gas field. BP is the operator of Block 61 with a 60% interest and Oman Oil holds the other 40%.

U.S. Rig Count is down 30 rigs from last week to 541, with oil rigs down 28 to 439, and gas rigs down 2 to 102. Canadian Rig Count is down 20 rigs from last week to 222, with oil rigs down 13 to 118, and gas rigs down 7 to 104.

The Head of Rosneft noted that the demand for oil and oil products will be growing. The growth has become more diversified - China's role has diminished, but the share of India, other Asian countries and Africa is gradually growing. “More diversified growth seems more resilient, and confirms that many of the mentioned "threats" of reducing the role of oil in the world economy are largely exaggerated”- Sechin said. According to the Head of Rosneft, “an imbalance between oil supply and demand may significantly reduce already by the end of 2016, and by the end of 2017 even lack of oil supply is possible at the market”.

“We are working on preserving our traditional markets and we will supply those markets with oil in a competitive battle,” Igor Sechin, Rosneft chief executive officer said in London today.

Brent crude oil prices are forecast to average $38/b in 2016 and $50/b in 2017.

“To develop the joint fields and enhance recovery of oil reservoirs as well as secure development targets, we need investment totaling 200 billion dollars,”

The 19th GCC summit took place amid the last great slump in oil prices, when crude had fallen to just $10 per barrel, worth around $14 today after adjusting for inflation.

North American oil and natural gas drillers will need to cut an additional 30 percent from their capital budgets to balance their spending with the cash coming in their doors even if crude rises to $40 a barrel, according to an analysis by IHS Inc.A group of 44 North American exploration and production companies are planning to spend $78 billion on capital projects this year, down from $101 billion last year.