MEOG - Mubadala Petroleum, Gazprom Neft and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, the Russian Federation's sovereign wealth fund) announced the establishment of a joint venture to develop oil fields in the Tomsk and Omsk regions of Western Siberia.

U.S. EIA - The United States exported 7.3 million barrels per day (b/d) of crude oil and petroleum products in the first half of 2018, when exports of crude oil and hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL) set record monthly highs. Crude oil surpassed HGLs to become the largest U.S. petroleum export, with 1.8 million b/d of exports in the first half of 2018. U.S. exports of crude oil, HGLs, and motor gasoline grew in the first half of 2018 compared with the same period in 2017, while distillate exports decreased 84,000 b/d

PLATTS - Russian natural gas flows to western and central Europe recovered strongly in August -- after a dip in July because of pipeline maintenance -- as demand for Russian gas remained buoyant to meet demand from both the power and storage sectors,

PLATTS - Russian gas supplies to Europe and Turkey rebounded in August, according to data released by gas giant Gazprom, after a dip the previous month during the planned outage of the main Nord Stream gas pipeline to Germany.

U.S. API - The American Petroleum Institute’s latest monthly statistical report shows the U.S. set a record for the production of natural gas liquids (NGL) last month producing 4.4 million barrels per day (mb/d). July also saw the U.S. tie its record for crude oil production at 10.7 mb/d.

REUTERS - “This trade war is slowing down and destroying economic growth - and it creates new uncertainties,” Altmaier told Bild am Sonntag newspaper, adding that consumers suffered the most because higher tariffs were driving up prices.

PLATTS - Russian state-owned gas producer and transporter Gazprom filed a complaint with the WTO about the legislation in April 2014, arguing Russian infrastructure was being treated unfairly. Since then, constraints on access to OPAL have been lifted, resulting in flows via Nord Stream increasing to full capacity of 155 million cu m/day. The decision is therefore not expected to be market moving.

PLATTS - Natural gas demand from US LNG export terminals is set to double over the next year as a spate of new liquefaction projects now nearing completion enters service.

NGW - Commercial conditions for the Southern Corridor’s success have deteriorated as political support for it has grown. Up to 2030, the corridor will most likely remain an insubstantial contributor to Europe’s gas balance.

PLATTS - EDF maintained its annual French nuclear output target of 395 TWh and reported further progress in the regulator-requested Creusot review of its entire nuclear fleet with 34 reactors now cleared and 48 files submitted to the ASN by July 30.