The energy ministry is forecasting that crude production in Russia will fall by 0.6% year on year to 549.1 million mt, or 11.027 million b/d on average, in 2017 on the extension of the output cut deal.

“If you connect the dots, it is clear that Russia is funding US environmental groups in an effort to suppress our domestic oil and gas industry, specifically hydraulic fracturing,” Committee Chairman LaMar Smith (Tex.) said on July 7 as he released a letter he and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Randy Weber (Tex.) sent to Mnuchin.

India, the world's third-largest oil importer, will import crude oil from the United States for the first time after Indian Oil Corp bought a cargo that will be delivered in October.

U.S. Rig Count is up 512 rigs from last year's count of 440, with oil rigs up 412, gas rigs up 101, and miscellaneous rigs down 1 to 0. Canadian Rig Count is up 94 rigs from last year's count of 81, with oil rigs up 68, gas rigs up 27, and miscellaneous rigs down 1 to 0.

The August light, sweet crude contract on NYMEX dropped $1.94 on July 5 to settle at $45.13/bbl. The September contract was down $1.95 to close at $45.34/bbl. The NYMEX natural gas price for August declined 11¢ to a rounded $2.84/MMbtu. The Henry Hub cash gas price was $2.90/MMbtu on July 5, down 4¢ from June 30, the last available price for the US gas spot price. The Brent crude contract for September on London’s ICE decreased $1.82 to $47.79/bbl while the October contract dropped $1.83 to $48.07/bbl. The July gas oil contract was down $6.75 to $442.25/tonne. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries’ basket of crudes on July 5 was $47.04/bbl, down 53¢.

Novak said prices had room to rise from current levels and said inventories in industrialized nations were expected to ease back to the five-year average thanks to the decision by OPEC and its allies to extend supply curbs from the first half of 2017 to the first quarter of 2018.

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries produced 32.49 million b/d in June—an increase of 220,000 b/d from May and representing a 6-month high.

In the report -- trailed in May at the Flame conference in Amsterdam -- the IGU also confirmed that the average global wholesale gas price averaged just $3.35/MMBtu in 2016, the lowest price in any survey done by the IGU since it started in 2005.

"Our gas in Europe sees increasing demand. Gas export pipeline Nord Stream is in demand by more than 100%. On certain days at the last fall/winter season, the flow stood at 111% of its capacity," Miller said.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, through the Department of Commerce, announced today that the goods and services deficit was $46.5 billion in May, down $1.1 billion from $47.6 billion in April, revised. May exports were $192.0 billion, $0.9 billion more than April exports. May imports were $238.5 billion, $0.2 billion less than April imports.