Preliminary production figures for January 2017 show an average daily production of about 2 024 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate. This is 42 000 barrels per day (about 2 percent) less than December 2016.

Nord Stream 2 to play crucial role in EU’s energy security

It was noted that Gazprom’s gas supplies to the German market had reached a record of 49.8 billion cubic meters in 2016. The upward trend in gas demand continues in early 2017. In January, gas exports grew by 23.2 per cent versus the corresponding month of 2016. Between February 1 and February 15, gas deliveries added 37 per cent compared to the same period of last year.

European utilities will not reduce their investments in renewables if U.S. President Donald Trump lowers U.S. climate goals, encouraged by Chinese and EU political commitments to low carbon energy.

Now the human drama watch begins; will Putin cave in to the demands of the West to renounce his allies in exchange for the improved relation and the dropping of sanctions?

The European Union, although reliant on Russian oil and gas, says it will never recognize Moscow's 2014 annexation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and expects the Kremlin to abide by the Minsk peace deal brokered for eastern Ukraine.

For the full year of 2016 the RC loss was $999 million, compared with a loss of $5,162 million for the full year of 2015. Both periods were impacted by charges associated with the Deepwater Horizon accident and oil spill following the settlement of federal, state and local government claims in 2015 and additional provisions this year, when a reliable estimate for the remaining material liabilities was determined. After adjusting for a net charge for non-operating items of $2,828 million and net unfavourable fair value accounting effects of $756 million (both on a post-tax basis), underlying RC profit for the full year was $2,585 million, compared with $5,905 million for the same period in 2015, predominantly due to lower results in the Upstream and Downstream segments.

Despite a drive by the European Union to diversify gas supplies and reduce its reliance on Russian imports, Gazprom increased its market share in Europe to 34 percent last year from 31 percent in 2015, posing a challenge to policymakers.

"We urge the United States to respect the facts, speak and act cautiously to avoid harming the peace and stability of the South China Sea,"

Preliminary production figures for December 2016 show an average daily production of 2 094 000 barrels of oil, NGL and condensate, which is a decrease of 60 000 barrels per day (approx. 3 percent) compared to November.