This arguably should have benefited the U.S. economy because lower gasoline prices aid consumers by lowering their fixed expenses. But the pain of investment losses largely outweighed the positive effects as investors from Main Street to pensions and foundations lent piles of money to speculative energy companies that looked increasingly fragile.

We expect to see robust demand for oil and gas for decades to come, in a global energy system in a long-term transition to lower carbon fuels. As well as low oil prices today, we are seeing higher levels of price volatility, due to geopolitical change, the speed of information flows, and the pace of innovation in our sector.

Modi also met Qatari businessmen and encouraged them to invest more in India, calling it "a land of opportunity." The Qatar Investment Authority has several large-scale investments in India, including a more than $1 billion stake in telecommunications company Bharati Airtel. Qatar Airways has expressed interest in expanding its routes to India and in buying a stake in budget airline IndiGo.

The worldwide rig count for May 2016 was 1,405, down 19 from the 1,424 counted in April 2016, and down 722 from the 2,127 counted in May 2015.

While in Germany and Austria, the promoters of Nord Stream 2 are quite outspoken, in the Netherlands and France, there is recognizable, but more silent support in government circles. Here, as well, the main line of argu­mentation is based on the added value of infrastructure di­versification and the neutrality of political actors on eco­nomic activity in the market.

U.S. Rig Count is up 4 rigs from last week to 408, with oil rigs up 9 at 325, gas rigs down 5 to 82, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. Canadian Rig Count is down 2 rigs from last week to 41, with oil rigs down 1 to 13, gas rigs unchanged at 28, and miscellaneous rigs down 1 at 0.

Banks are increasingly requiring U.S. oil and gas companies to maintain minimum levels of liquidity, an unusual step that could help reduce the risk of being exposed to companies struggling to maintain operations and repay debt.

US crude oil production in March averaged 9.127 million b/d, down from 9.133 million b/d in February and 9.648 million b/d in March 2015.

Exxon Mobil Corp. may invest more than $10 billion in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta shale formation in the next decades, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rex Tillerson said Thursday.

The parties discussed relevant cooperation issues, placing an emphasis on planned gas supplies to China via the eastern and western routes, as well as the prospects of collaboration in the field of underground gas storage, gas-fired power generation, and natural gas vehicles.