A balanced global crude oil market likely will remain elusive into 2018 because so many underlying dynamics have changed in the last 10 years. The outlook is worse for LNG because markets are saturated, prices are depressed, and economics are unfavorable.

The United States welcomes China, as well as any of our trading partners, to receive imports of LNG from the United States. The United States treats China no less favorably than other non-FTA trade partners with regard to LNG export authorizations. Companies from China may proceed at any time to negotiate all types of contractual arrangement with U.S. LNG exporters, including long-term contracts, subject to the commercial considerations of the parties. As of April 25, 2017, the U.S. Department of Energy had authorized 19.2 billion cubic feet per day of natural gas exports to non-FTA countries.

State-owned Petrobangla has inked final deals with Summit LNG Terminal Co., a subsidiary of the Summit Group, to development Bangladesh's second floating LNG terminal.

Korea Gas Corp (KOGAS), Japan's JERA and China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) [SASACY.UL] - whose joint liquefied natural gas volumes account for a third of global LNG trade - are attempting to cement a shift in power from producers to importers amid a supply glut that is expected to persist into the early-2020s.

A government panel said in a report in April 2015 that Hazira LNG will look to expand the capacity of its LNG terminal in the western state of Gujarat by 50% to 7.5 MMtpy in the fiscal year to March 2017.

"This is a big event," Putin said. "If we keep moving at this pace, which I must say is rather impressive even to me...then Russia not only can but will become the largest LNG producer in the world."

Qatar, the world's biggest exporter of LNG, pledged almost $6.2bn worth of investment in Britain on Monday in a show of support, as UK Prime Minister Theresa May begins the formal process of negotiating a separation settlement with the European Union.

ConocoPhillips (COP.N) on Wednesday agreed to sell oil sands and western Canadian natural gas assets to Cenovus Energy Inc (CVE.TO) for C$17.7 billion ($13.3 billion), making it the latest international oil major to pull back from a region where high costs and low crude prices have made it hard for large companies to make an acceptable return.

Profit attributable to NOVATEK shareholders increased by more than three-fold to RR 257.8 billion (RR 85.41 per share), as compared to RR 74.4 billion (RR 24.63 per share) in 2015. The amount of profit and its dynamics were significantly impacted by the foreign exchange effect (including at the joint ventures level), as well as the effect of the disposals of interests in joint ventures.

The average price of spot LNG imports to Japan contracted in January 2017 was $8.40/mn Btu, up from $8/mn Btu in December 2016, the ministry of economy, trade and industry (Meti) said February 9, their highest level for two years. But Japan's IEEJ says that prices have now peaked.