NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW - Annual gas exports from Kazakhstan to China are set to double in 2019, as Beijing moves to cushion the impact of its trade war with the U.S.

U.S. BEA - Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the third quarter of 2018 (table 1), according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the second quarter, real GDP increased 4.2 percent.

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.

PEMEX - Upon comparing the results of this quarter with the same quarter for the previous year, the following items stand out: (i) total sales increased by 33%; (ii) operation yield recorded a significant improvement of 83% and currently at 54 billion pesos; and (iii) the company recorded a net income of 27 billion pesos, compared to losses of 102 billion pesos recorded the previous year.

BHGE - U.S. Rig Count is up 1 rig from last week to 1,068, with oil rigs up 2 to 875 and gas rigs down 1 to 193. Canada Rig Count is up 9 rigs from last week to 200, with oil rigs up 1 to 124, gas rigs up 8 to 76, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0.

REUTERS - Brent crude oil LCOc1 was down 70 cents at $76.19 per barrel by 0740 GMT, on course for a weekly loss of more than 4 percent. It has fallen by close to $10 in the last three weeks. U.S. crude CLc1 was 70 cents lower at $66.63, set for a 3.5 percent loss this week.

NORGES BANK - The Government Pension Fund Global returned 2.1 percent, or 174 billion kroner, in the third quarter of 2018.

EIA - Imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the 28 countries that make up the European Union (EU-28) averaged 5.1 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in 2017, increasing for the third consecutive year but remaining below their 2011 peak.

FT - That the Nord Stream 2 pipeline will increase Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas is a geographic and arithmetical fact. But buried in the heated rhetoric — now rising to US sanction threats — over how much that matters, is just how inexpensive it would be for Europe to purchase supply diversity with liquefied natural gas from the US.

OGJ - Spending on worldwide oil and gas developments needs to increase by about 20% to meet future demand growth and ensure companies sustain production over the next decade,

CONOCOPHILLIPS - ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) reported third-quarter 2018 earnings of $1.9 billion, or $1.59 per share, compared with third-quarter 2017 earnings of $0.4 billion, or $0.34 per share. Excluding special items, third-quarter 2018 adjusted earnings were $1.6 billion, or $1.36 per share, compared with third-quarter 2017 adjusted earnings of $0.2 billion, or $0.16 per share. Special items for the current quarter were primarily for amounts recognized from the PDVSA arbitration settlement, partially offset by unrealized losses on Cenovus Energy equity.

EQUINOR - Equinor reports adjusted earnings of USD 4.8 billion and USD 2.0 billion after tax in the third quarter of 2018. IFRS net operating income was USD 4.6 billion and the IFRS net income was USD 1.7 billion.

NOVATEK - In the third quarter and the nine months of 2018, profit attributable to shareholders of PAO NOVATEK increased to RR 45.9 billion (RR 15.23 per share), or by 21.6%, and to RR 121.1 billion (RR 40.17 per share), or by 8.1%, respectively, as compared to the corresponding periods in 2017.

HUSKY ENERGY - Net earnings were $545 million, a 300 percent increase compared to $136 million in Q3 2017. Net debt at the end of the quarter was lowered to $2.6 billion.

NOV VARCO - National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (NYSE: NOV) reported third quarter 2018 revenues of $2.15 billion, an increase of two percent compared to the second quarter of 2018 and an increase of 17 percent from the third quarter of 2017. Operating profit for the third quarter of 2018 was $73 million, or 3.4 percent of sales, Adjusted EBITDA (operating profit excluding depreciation and amortization) was $245 million, or 11.4 percent of sales, and net income was $1 million.