The auction of the deepwater blocks, four in the Perdido Fold belt near the US side of the Gulf and six in the unexplored Salina basin further south, marked the culmination of the first round of auctions since Mexico enacted a sweeping reform to open a sector closed to private exploration and production for nearly 80 years.

For China’s beleaguered oil sector, a deal by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut output could offer a lifeline to an industry that has been hammered by low prices—and may also hasten its shift away from a heavy reliance on Saudi crude.

Venezuela has borrowed over $50 billion from China under a financing arrangement created by late socialist leader Hugo Chavez in 2007, in which a portion of its crude and fuel sales to the world's second-biggest economy are used to pay down loans.

After more than a decade, China has decided to restore tax rebates on exports of gasoline, gasoil and jet fuel, a sign that Beijing is more than comfortable with the domestic supply situation for oil products.

Rosneft and Beijing Gas Group Company Limited (hereinafter, "Beijing Gas") signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement and a Shareholder and Operating Agreement for the sale of a 20% stake in Verkhnechonskneftegaz (a Rosneft subsidiary) to the Chinese company, an Agreement on the Area of Mutual Interest in respect of the adjoining license areas and an Agreement on the cooperation in the gas business. The transaction execution agreement was signed in the presence of the Prime Minister of the Russian Government Dmitry Medvedev and Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China Li Keqiang by Rosneft Chief Executive Officer Igor Sechin and Beijing Gas Group Chairwoman of the Management Board Li Yalan.

Sinopec Ltd. reported that Fuling shale gas field in southwestern China produced a cumulative 3.76 billion cu m of gas from January to September. The 107% increase in production was accompanied by additional processing capacity of 5.5-6.5 bcm, the company said. In 2014, Sinopec announced plans to bring production capacity to 10 bcm/year by 2017.

September gasoil exports surged to a record high of 1.6 million mt, or 398,197 b/d, surpassing the previous high of 1.53 million mt, or 368,840 b/d, in July, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. On a daily average basis in barrels, exports in September were 44.4% higher year on year and up 55.4% month on month.

Director of National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) International Affairs has announced that 62 percent of the Iranian oil is being exported to the Asian countries and the rest to the European states.

The world’s biggest energy user imported 33.06 million metric tons of crude in September, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Thursday. That’s about 8.08 million barrels a day. China’s net fuel exports were at 2.37 million tons last month, near the record 2.49 million in July.

China pumped 16.45 million tonnes (3.87 million barrels per day) of crude in August, the least since December 2009 on a daily basis and the second month of sharp decline.