The Boca de Jaruco field produces extra-viscous, extra-heavy oil (natural bitumen) from carbonate deposits using thermal steam methods. Zarubezhneft has quadrupled its annual production over the past five years, while the stock of production wells has remained unchanged at seven wells.

While pipeline gas supplies from Russia cover less than 5% of Europe’s fuel needs after most major routes have been closed since 2022, the nation remains the second largest supplier of LNG to the EU. Purchases hit a record last year, with Spain, France and Belgium being the biggest buyers.

Russian oil products exports remain resilient with volumes climbing last month to the highest in a year, despite repeated drone strikes against the country’s refining operations.

The agreement sets out the terms and main areas of interaction between the parties and the possibility of a further expansion of capacity to 330 MW.

The new roadmap builds on an agreement reached in 2023 on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Economic & Humanitarian Forum in St Petersburg.

Brent rose 24 cents or 0.33% to $72.77 a barrel, WTI were up 18 cents or 0.26% at $68.80 per barrel.

Last year, Ukraine received 724 million cubic meters of gas from abroad, according to estimates from ExPro Consulting in Kyiv. About a third of that was later re-exported to western neighbors, which used the nation’s storage sites.

Brent were down 22 cents, or 0.29%, at $75.82 a barrel, WTI dropped 30 cents, or 0.42%, to $71.95.

Brent were down 68 cents, or 0.9%, at $74.50 a barrel, WTI dropped 65 cents, or 0.9%, to $70.72.

Rosatom says that the average power of the engine, operating in pulse-periodic mode, reaches 300kW making it possible to accelerate the spacecraft to much higher speeds than conventional engines.