ConocoPhillips plans conservative financial and operating programs in 2017, planning for a longer-than-expected $50/b oil world by reducing its capital budget 4%, growing production up to 2% and forging technologies to squeeze out the last smidgen of resource from existing assets.

U.S. Rig Count is down 199 rigs from last year's count of 767, with oil rigs down 122, gas rigs down 78, and miscellaneous rigs up 1. Canadian Rig Count is unchanged from last year's count of 176, with oil rigs up 21 and gas rigs down 21.

International Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 were trading at $45.77 per barrel at 0743 GMT (2:43 a.m. ET), down 7 cents from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil futures CLc1 were trading down 10 cents at $44.56 per barrel, weighed down by weakening U.S. demand.

Supply growth from nations outside the OPEC will be “just shy” of 500,000 barrels a day, an increase of 110,000 barrels a day from the agency’s forecast last month, it said Thursday. Russian production is likely to grow by 190,000 barrels a day, building on a 230,000-barrel increase in 2016.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Thursday global crude oil output could be frozen at November levels if the world's leading oil producers reach an agreement on Nov. 30.

“Eighty percent of voters support increased development of U.S. oil and natural gas resources including 71 percent of Democrats, 94 percent of Republicans and 76 percent of Independents,”

Royal Dutch Shell Plc will invest $10 billion in Brazil over five years now that the country has increased opportunities for foreign companies in its oil industry, its chief executive officer said on Thursday.

ConocoPhillips has set its 2017 capital expenditures guidance at $5 billion, down 4% compared with its 2016 guidance of $5.2 billion and less than half of its 2015 capex and investments that totaled $10.1 billion. The firm recently cut its 2016 capex from $5.5 million.

Total investment in oil and natural gas extraction in Norway was 21% lower in the first half of 2016 compared with the first half of 2015, a decline of about 20.9 billion Norwegian kroner (US $3.5 billion). However, investment cuts have affected some segments of the industry more than others.

At 3:30 pm Singapore time (0739 GMT), January ICE Brent crude futures were down 64 cents/b (1.39%) from Tuesday's settle at $45.40/b, while the NYMEX December light sweet crude contract fell 59 cents/b (1.31%) to $44.39/b.