German chemical giant BASF has begun construction of its $10-billion integrated petrochemicals project in China’s southern province of Guangdong,

The meeting participants reviewed issues related to cooperation between the companies. Particular attention was paid to joint actions for hydrocarbon production in Russia, namely at the Urengoyskoye and Yuzhno-Russkoye fields.

PLATTS - In September 27, 2018, BASF signed a transaction agreement with LetterOne to merge their respective oil and gas businesses, Wintershall and DEA, into a joint venture.

FT - Mr Fridman would acquire an interest in the Wingate gas platform off the east coast of England as part of a proposed merger between DEA, an energy company he controls, and Wintershall of Germany, which operates the UK field.

LETTERONE - BASF and L1 Energy, the energy investment arm of LetterOne, announce their intention to merge their oil and gas subsidiaries.

Gazprom has also received 50 per cent in Wintershall Noordzee B.V., which is involved in hydrocarbon exploration and production in the North Sea. In turn, Wintershall has obtained 25.01 per cent in the project for developing blocks 4A and 5A in the Achimov deposits of the Urengoy oil, gas and condensate field

Together, these deals mean that Europe’s big energy companies want to return to business as usual with Russia, despite the continuing conflict in Ukraine and the EU’s continuing sanctions on Russia.

The deal with BASF gives Gazprom full control of a jointly operated European gas trading and storage business, the main strategic rationale.

U.S. Rig Count is down 13 rigs from last week to 864, with oil rigs down 13 to 662, gas rigs unchanged at 202, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0.

German chemicals group BASF and Gazprom agreed to revive a deal that collapsed in late 2014 to swap gas assets that will see BASF exit gas trading and storage and the Russian energy giant expanding into Western Europe, BASF said on Friday.