During the period we continued to focus on improving our efficiency and pro-actively restructured some of our central functions and have reduced costs in those areas where business activity reduced. As a result margins were higher than both Q1, 2016 and Q2, 2015.

Gazprom's sales volume to its core ‘Europe and other’ markets in 1Q grew by 49% to 58.1bn m³, an increase of 19bn m³ on 39.1bn m³ in January-March 2015. Sales to former Soviet countries declined by 15.5% (by 2bn m³) to 10.9bn m³, while those in Russia declined more modestly to 75.4bn m³, just 6% or 4.9bn m³ less than in 1Q 2015.

Ramezani told the Panel of Prospect of Gas Industry in Next Half a Century that the deal is expect to prepare the condition for export and shipment of gas to West Europe.

Between January-July, flows totaled 66.52 Bcm, 16% higher than the cumulative total for the same period last year and 13% up on the previous record high for the January-July period of 58.73 Bcm from 2014.

The so-called TAP, which formally started construction in May, will run for 878 kilometers (550 miles) from Greece's border with Turkey, through Albania and to southern Italy, including a 105-kilometer (65-mile) stretch under the Adriatic Sea. First deliveries to Europe are expected in 2020.

India's ultimate goal is to have an SPR that provides 90 days of net import coverage. The Indian government unveiled plans to add another 91 million barrels of SPR capacity in a second phase by 2020, although these facilities are still in the planning phase. The Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), a special-purpose legal entity owned by the Oil Industry Development Board, would manage all of the SPR facilities.

Bob Dudley, BP group chief executive said: " BP today is a stronger, more focused and more disciplined company. We continue to actively develop a strong, balanced portfolio and we are managing the business for value over volume. Our relentless group-wide focus on capital and cost discipline is helping BP to become much more efficient while maintaining the investment needed for future growth".

Gazprom will send some of the gas from its controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline through Slovakia, the Russian state-controlled company said, in a move that may soften Slovak opposition to the project.

Gazprom's gas sales in Europe in the first half of 2016 rose by 14.2%, or 10.6 Bcm, compared with the same period of last year, Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller said Thursday, signaling a sharp slowdown in export growth in the second quarter of this year.

Eustream said June 30 that it welcomed assurances from Gazprom at the meetings that the Slovak and the Czech gas transmission systems will be used in long term even if NS2 is built. Eustream said also it “highly appreciates the understanding between both parties that the entry point from Ukraine to Slovakia shall remain fully functional even if NS2 is commissioned.”