Schlumberger Limited announced that it does not intend to extend the pending agreement to acquire a minority equity interest in Eurasia Drilling Company Limited, once the current extension expires on September 30, 2015. The Company will instead focus on other M&A opportunities.

Changing dynamics in the global LNG market hint at a stronger role of European markets, and a decreased interest of American players given a minimal growth of the global markets, which are expected to increase 'only' between 2.1 and 2.5% in 2015.

The agreement concerning Nord Stream-2 represents a success for Russia; it accomplishes the strategic goals of Russian gas policy in Europe (main - ceasing gas exports through Ukraine), despite the difficult political relations with the EU, the Western sanctions regime, and Brussels’ declaration that it will diversify the EU’s sources of supply and reduce its dependence on Russian gas.

Top-flight Western firms such as Shell, E.On, BASF, and Engie (formerly GDF Suez) have banded together with Russia’s Gazprom to double the capacity of Nord Stream, with hopes it will be operational by late 2019.

LNG imports by 10 nations in the region that receive the tanker-delivered fuel dropped 3.4% from a year earlier in August, after reaching a two-year high in March, according to data from Genscape. Russian pipeline supplies soared about 20% from a year earlier in August, remaining at the highest level this year, tracking declining crude prices, according to data from Gazprom, the world’s biggest gas producer.

Together, these deals mean that Europe’s big energy companies want to return to business as usual with Russia, despite the continuing conflict in Ukraine and the EU’s continuing sanctions on Russia.

Ukraine has asked Russia to reduce the cost it charges the country for gas as well as write-off loans Russia has given it.

Issues have emerged in Russia that could delay or prevent Schlumberger Limited. (NYSE:SLB) from closing a deal with Eurasia. Earlier this year, Schlumberger made a $1.7 billion offer to take a stake in Eurasia, also expressing willingness to acquire the rest of the company. Eurasia is Russia’s largest oil-services company. However, as it turns out, Russia’s Federal Security Service, also known as FSB, is expressing some reservations over the deal.

Ukraine's efforts to store natural gas for winter are running 1 billion cubic metres behind their pace last year, Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said on Wednesday.

Russia’s Federal Security Service, the main successor to the KGB, is holding up Schlumberger Ltd.’s acquisition of a 46 percent stake in Eurasia Drilling Co., according to two people with knowledge of the matter.