The oil price collapse over the past 16 months has forced the world’s biggest energy companies to cut hundreds of billions of dollars in future spending to bolster their balance sheets. But Ali al-Naimi — oil minister and architect of the Saudi strategy to maintain output and keep prices low to hobble its rivals — voiced a commitment to press on with investments in exploration, production and refining.

Britain has told Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman he was still welcome to invest in the country even after he was forced to divest gas assets there under pressure from the previous government.

Rosneft, as part of a PetroMiranda JV including PDVSA and Gazprom Neft, has drilled an unprecedented horizontal well GG1-14 at the Junin-6 block. The well is unique for the shallow depth, only 1,140 feet or about 347 meters, of the reservoir interval and the length of horizontal section 4,920 feet or 1,500 meters. The total length of the well is 6,059 feet (some 1,847 meters).

In the third quarter 2015, NOVATEK’s marketable production totaled 17.06 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas and 2,346 thousand tons of liquids (gas condensate and crude oil), resulting in an increase in natural gas production by 1.86 bcm, or by 12.2%, and an increase in combined liquids production by 813 thousand tons, or by 53.0% as compared with the third quarter 2014.

The US is poised to sail warships close to China’s artificial islands in the South China Sea as a signal to Beijing that Washington does not recognise Chinese territorial claims over the area.

EIA estimates that total U.S. crude oil production declined by 120,000 barrels per day (b/d) in September compared with August. Crude oil production is forecast to decrease through mid-2016 before growth resumes late in 2016. Projected U.S. crude oil production averages 9.2 million b/d in 2015 and 8.9 million b/d in 2016.

U.S. Rig Count is down 14 rigs from last week to 795, with oil rigs down 9 to 605, gas rigs down 6 to 189, and miscellaneous rigs up 1 to 1.

Saudi Arabia’s policy has resulted in about $220 billion worth of investment cuts worldwide, much of which is a result of project deferrals, including deepwater projects off West Africa and in the Gulf of Mexico.

The fund’s half-yearly fiscal monitor report shows that in the past three years a hefty budget surplus in Saudi Arabia has been turned into a deficit of more than 20% of GDP – double the shortfalls seen in the UK and the US during the worst of the global slump of 2008-09.

“We are not in disarray,” Mr. el-Badri said. “We see some light at the end of the tunnel.” He said he thinks oil markets will regain balance within 18 to 24 months.