BLOOMBERG - Vietnam’s state-owned oil company said South China Sea tensions will hurt oil and gas exploration and efforts to attract foreign investment to offshore fields.

PLATTS - Iraq has adjusted its crude oil production capacity target and is now aiming to achieve 6.5 million b/d by 2022, oil minister Jabbar al-Luaibi said Monday.

ENERGYNOW - The head of one of Canada’s largest banks is urging the federal government to stem the flow of investment capital from this country to the United States — because, he warns, it’s already leaving in “real time.”

STATOIL - Statoil has awarded drilling contracts to Archer, KCA Deutag and Odfjell Drilling for drilling, completion, intervention services, plugging, maintenance and modifications on 18 of Statoil’s fixed platforms.

МИНФИН РОССИИ - Средняя цена нефти марки Urals по итогам января – март 2018 года составила $ 65,22 за баррель. В 2017 году средняя цена на Urals в январе – марте составила $ 52,04 за баррель. Средняя цена на нефть марки Urals в марте 2018 года сложилась в размере $ 63,68 за баррель, что в 1,3 раза выше, чем в марте 2017 года ($ 49,76 за баррель).

REUTERS - U.S. WTI crude futures CLc1 were at $65.21 barrel at 0122 GMT, up 27 cents, or 0.4 percent, from their previous settlement. Brent crude futures LCOc1 were fetching $69.71 per barrel, up 37 cents, or 0.55 percent.

EIA - US oil production averaged 9.964 million b/d in January, up nearly 1.14 million b/d compared with January 2017, but about 102,000 b/d below November's record domestic output,

REUTERS - Iraq exported 3.453 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from its southern ports in March, slightly above the February average, the oil ministry said on Sunday.

SHANA - Leaders of the UAE, OPEC’s biggest producer Saudi Arabia and non-OPEC member Russia support extending energy cooperation beyond 2018. Cooperation on the part of a politically influential oil producer like Russia would add to the weight and influence of OPEC in global energy markets, both politically and in terms of decision-making.

REUTERS - Japan’s crude oil imports last month fell 15.4 percent from a year earlier to 2.99 million barrels per day (13.33 million kilolitres), the lowest for the month of February since 1969