Novak is taking on additional responsibility for economic development and anti-sanctions measures after former economic development minister Andrey Belousov was named new defense minister in a dramatic change of guard during the third year of full-scale war in Ukraine.

Relations between Russia and Western nations have been in the deep freeze since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but Norway has been keen to keep some limited cooperation alive through the Arctic Council.

The OECD's growth forecast for Russia has been significantly revised upward—from 1.8% to 2.6% for this year, placing it sixth globally.

Brent inched 4 cents higher to $83.40 a barrel, WTI rose 5 cents to $79.17 a barrel.

Total Russian seaborne crude exports reached 3.9 million-4 million b/d in March and April, boosted by multi-month high shipments to India, and around the highest since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Russia has started developing a nuclear power plant for its planned joint lunar station with China, the RIA news agency cited Yuri Borisov, the head of Russia's space agency Roscosmos, as saying on Wednesday.

Australia's total coking coal exports are expected to increase by 14% from 2023 levels to 171.9 million mt in 2025,

The transition would also require the electricity sector to invest between $8 – 80 trillion per year over the period in electricity storage facilities, depending on the ultimate cost of electricity storage infrastructure.

According to its 2023 annual report to the US Securities & Exchange Commission, Russia’s Tenex is Centrus’s largest supplier of SWU, followed by French company Orano. Centrus has commitments with Tenex for the supply of Russian enrichment services (in the form of SWU) to 2028.

Brent fell 30 cents, or 0.36%, to $82.86 a barrel, WTI fell 25 cents, or 0.32%, to $78.13 a barrel.