API announced today that estimated oil wells drilled and completed in the third quarter of 2016 remained relatively unchanged from the previous quarter at 2,285. That is a decline of 3.7%, which follows an average of 17.3% in quarterly declines for the past year and a half.

In 2015, Russian gas exports to Austria rose 11.5 per cent versus 2014. From January 1 through October 10, 2016, Russian gas supplies to Austria totaled 4.18 billion cubic meters, which was 23.8 per cent higher than in the same period of 2015.

The warming relations between NATO member Turkey and Russia comes as both countries are dealing with troubled economies and strained ties with the West.

The worldwide rig count for September 2016 was 1,584, up 37 from the 1,547 counted in August 2016, and down 587 from the 2,171 counted in September 2015.

Baker Hughes Inc., the services company that tracks drilling activity worldwide, said just 27 rigs operated last month in the North Sea, the lowest number since records started in January 1982. The previous low was set in October 1999, when oil prices plunged to $10 a barrel.

U.S. Rig Count is down 271 rigs from last year's count of 795, with oil rigs down 177, gas rigs down 95, and miscellaneous rigs up 1. Canadian Rig Count is down 15 rigs from last year's count of 180, with oil rigs up 13, and gas rigs down 28.

Britain is estimated to have substantial amounts of shale gas trapped in underground rocks and the government wants to exploit it to help offset declining North Sea oil and gas output. It said the shale gas industry could create 64,000 jobs and help economic growth.

Total pipeline gas exports through Nord Stream, Yamal, and Brotherhood rose 13% month on month and 7% year on year to 10.108 Bcm in September, the highest monthly flows seen since March and the fifth-highest total recorded for a calendar month.

With hundreds of millions of people living without electricity in the world's poorest continent, African countries are increasingly turning to gas to take advantage of lower global LNG prices amid a supply glut.

U.S. Rig Count is down 287 rigs from last year's count of 809, with oil rigs down 189, gas rigs down 99, and miscellaneous rigs up 1. Canadian Rig Count is down 17 rigs from last year's count of 179, with oil rigs up 14, and gas rigs down 31.