REUTERS - Germany is still committed to the NordStream 2 pipeline, which will allow Russia to bypass Ukraine in transporting gas to Europe, despite escalating tension in the region, a government spokesman in Berlin said on Wednesday.

ГАЗПРОМ - строительство газопровода "Северный Поток - 2" идет в соответствии с графиком. К настоящему времени суммарно на дно Балтийского моря уложено около 300 км труб. В частности, завершена укладка обеих ниток в прибрежной зоне Германии, ведутся работы в территориальных водах и в исключительной экономической зоне Германии, а также в исключительной экономической зоне Финляндии.

REUTERS - The United States has been pressing Europe to cut its reliance on cheap Russian gas and buy much more expensive U.S. LNG instead, which many European countries, including industrial heavyweight Germany, have so far resisted.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - «В рамках межправительственной комиссии действует 10 рабочих групп, в том числе в транспортной сфере, в сфере финансов, энергетики и по другим направлениям. Такие группы позволяют на экспертном уровне активно решать текущие вопросы двусторонней повестки дня. За последние годы создана солидная нормативно-правовая база двустороннего сотрудничества, подписано свыше 50 совместных документов», - подчеркнул в ходе встречи глава Минэнерго России.

WNN - According to the Rosenergoatom statement, Peter Tarren, head of the IAEA's Operational Safety Section and leader of the team said: "From the point of view of the IAEA, this mission was very successful. Experts concluded that everything is working very well at Rosenergoatom. Each organisation may strive for improvement, but what I saw here at the company is a real commitment to safety principles."

U.S. EIA - Proved reserves of crude oil in the United States increased 19.5% (6.4 billion barrels) to 39.2 billion barrels at Year-End 2017, setting a new U.S. record for crude oil proved reserves. The previous record was 39.0 billion barrels set in 1970. Proved reserves of natural gas increased by 123.2 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) (36.1%) to 464.3 Tcf at year-end 2017—a new U.S. record for total natural gas proved reserves. The previous U.S. record was 388.8 Tcf, set in 2014.

U.S. BEA - Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2018, according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the second quarter, real GDP increased 4.2 percent.

SA - By most accounts, the U.S. has the highest level of economic inequality among developed countries. It has the world's greatest per capita health expenditures yet the lowest life expectancy among comparable countries.

U.S. EIA - Dry natural gas production in Mexico has fallen 38% since 2012 because of declining reserves, a low price environment, and limited exploration and production of new wells. Mexico’s dry natural gas production was 2.4 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in October 2018, according to Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX). This level is down 7% from year-ago levels, when production averaged 2.5 Bcf/d, and down 21% from two years ago, when production averaged 3.0 Bcf/d.

WNN - "We acknowledge the contribution of, and potential for the applications of nuclear science and technology to meet a wide variety of basic socio-economic and human development needs; we recognise the progress made in all Member States in addressing such development needs and the benefits achieved from the application of nuclear techniques in both developing and developed States; and we underscore the growing need and demand for further utilisation of nuclear applications worldwide."