The US is poised to sail warships close to China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea as a signal to Beijing that Washington does not recognise Chinese territorial claims over the area.

EIA estimates that total U.S. crude oil production declined by 120,000 barrels per day (b/d) in September compared with August. Crude oil production is forecast to decrease through mid-2016 before growth resumes late in 2016. Projected U.S. crude oil production averages 9.2 million b/d in 2015 and 8.9 million b/d in 2016.

U.S. Rig Count is down 14 rigs from last week to 795, with oil rigs down 9 to 605, gas rigs down 6 to 189, and miscellaneous rigs up 1 to 1.

Eurasia Drilling’s top shareholders and management have proposed taking the oil services company private, after Schlumberger walked away from making a $1.7bn investment following resistance from Russian regulators.

Russian energy giant OAO Gazprom became the latest emerging-market borrower to sell debt to international investors, taking advantage of growing expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will delay raising interest rates.

Saudi Arabia’s policy has resulted in about $220 billion worth of investment cuts worldwide, much of which is a result of project deferrals, including deepwater projects off West Africa and in the Gulf of Mexico.

The fund’s half-yearly fiscal monitor report shows that in the past three years a hefty budget surplus in Saudi Arabia has been turned into a deficit of more than 20% of GDP – double the shortfalls seen in the UK and the US during the worst of the global slump of 2008-09.

BP reached a $20.8 billion civil settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and five Gulf states on Monday to resolve civil claims tied to the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident.

Eurasia Drilling Co., the Russian oil driller whose planned acquisition by Schlumberger Ltd. collapsed last month, said it received a buyout offer from management and shareholders.

“We are not in disarray,” Mr. el-Badri said. “We see some light at the end of the tunnel.” He said he thinks oil markets will regain balance within 18 to 24 months.