REUTERS - Brent crude LCOc1 rose 78 cents to $76.16 a barrel by 0645 GMT after dropping to its lowest since May 8 on Tuesday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were up 33 cents at $65.85 a barrel, having touched a near two-month low on Tuesday.

FT - “In my opinion, the stability of Russian production was underestimated by the market,” said Igor Sechin, chief executive of Rosneft, the country’s top oil producer. “In general, the Russian oil sector investments in rouble equivalent under the crisis conditions were increasing, and so did the production.” 

BLOOMBERG - By most metrics, the embargo that closed Qatar off from major air, sea, and land links has failed. The country’s imports and exports are up, according to the International Monetary Fund. Qatar, the world’s richest country per capita thanks to massive reserves of natural gas, is on track to post a budget surplus in 2018. Its economy is growing faster than most of its peers.

BLOOMBERG - Gross domestic product advanced 1 percent from the prior quarter, with overseas shipments accounting for half the expansion, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said in Sydney Wednesday. Economists had forecast a 0.9 percent gain. The economy expanded at an annual pace of 3.1 percent, also beating estimates for a 2.8 percent increase.

BLOOMBERG - Abu Dhabi plans to spend $13.6 billion over three years and allow freezone-based companies to take part in government tenders as the oil-rich emirate seeks to stimulate the economy.

REUTERS - U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 10 cents, or 0.2 percent, $65.71 a barrel by 2353 GMT. Last week, WTI lost around 3 percent, adding to a near 5 percent decline a week before. The global benchmark Brent fell 26 cents, or 0.34 percent, to $76.53 a barrel.

МИНФИН РОССИИ - Средняя цена нефти марки Urals по итогам января – мая 2018 года составила $ 67,91 за баррель. В 2017 году средняя цена на Urals в январе – мае составила $ 51,29 за баррель. Средняя цена на нефть марки Urals в мае 2018 года сложилась в размере $ 74,86 за баррель, что в 1,52 раза выше, чем в мае 2017 года ($ 49,14 за баррель).

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 1 rig from last week to 1,060, with oil rigs up 2 to 861 and gas rigs down 1 to 197. Canada Rig Count is up 18 rigs from last week to 99 rigs, with oil rigs up 21 to 56 and gas rigs down 3 to 43.

REUTERS - U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 lost 16 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $66.88 a barrel by 0423 GMT, after falling almost 2 percent on Thursday. Global benchmark Brent crude LCOc1, which was little changed in the previous session, was down 9 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $77.47 per barrel.

GAZPROM - Profit attributable to the owners of PJSC Gazprom for the three months ended March 31, 2018 totalled RUB 371,623 million which is by RUB 38,170 million, or 11 %, more than for the same period of the prior year.

EIA - U.S. oil production up to 10.474 MBD, gas production up to 98,323 MCFD

BEA - Real gross domestic product (GDP) increased at an annual rate of 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2018, according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter of 2017, real GDP increased 2.9 percent.

REUTERS - Brent LCOc1 rose 40 cents to $75.79 a barrel by 0925 GMT, after trading as low as $74.81 earlier. U.S. crude CLc1 was up 25 cents at $66.98.

EIA - Financial Review of the Global Oil and Natural Gas Industry: 2017 - Brent crude oil daily average prices were $54.75 per barrel in 2017—21% higher than 2016 levels - Excluding proved reserve acquisitions, upstream costs incurred increased from 2016 levels but remained lower than 2008–15 levels - Proved reserves additions in 2017 approached the highest levels in the 2008–17 period - Finding plus lifting costs fell to $29 dollars per barrel of oil equivalent in 2017, the lowest level in the 2008–17 period - The energy companies reduced debt in 2017, the first year in the 2008–17 period - Refiners with global refining assets reduced distillation capacity for the eighth consecutive year

OPEC - The JMMC reported that participating countries have achieved a conformity level of 152% during the fourth month of the second year of the Declaration of Cooperation. This demonstrates the commitment of participating countries to the restoration of market stability, which is intended to serve the long term interests of producers, consumers and the global economy.