Global oil and gas deal activity in 2016 recovered from a slow start to the year with help from the announcements of midstream and oilfield services (OFS) megadeals. Deal value increased in 2016 to US$395 billion from US$340 billion in 2015, while deal volume fell by 27% year-on-year.

Royal Dutch Shell’s fourth quarter 2016 CCS earnings attributable to shareholders were $1.0 billion compared with $1.8 billion for the same quarter a year ago. Full year 2016 CCS earnings attributable to shareholders were $3.5 billion compared with $3.8 billion in 2015.

Exxon Mobil Corporation today announced estimated 2016 earnings of $7.8 billion, or $1.88 per diluted share. An asset recoverability review was completed in the fourth quarter and resulted in a U.S. Upstream asset impairment charge of about $2 billion mainly related to dry gas operations with undeveloped acreage in the Rocky Mountains region of the U.S. Excluding the impairment charge, full year earnings were $9.9 billion compared with $16.2 billion a year earlier, reflecting lower commodity prices and refining margins.

Shell has agreed to sell a package of UK North Sea assets to Chrysaor for a total of up to $3.8bn, including an initial consideration of $3.0bn and a payment of up to $600m between 2018-2021 subject to commodity price, with potential further payments of up to $180m for future discoveries.

Shell has reached an agreement with KUFPEC Thailand Holdings Pte Limited, a subsidiary of Kuwait Foreign Petroleum Exploration Company (KUFPEC), for the sale of subsidiary companies Shell Integrated Gas Thailand Pte Limited and Thai Energy Co Limited, which together hold a 22.222% equity stake held in the Bongkot field, and adjoining acreage offshore Thailand consisting of Blocks 15, 16 and 17 and block G12/48, for USD 900 million.

Over the past year we have had substantial dialogue with our secured lenders to amend and extend c.USD8 billion in first lien secured debt. During the second half of last year, we began to engage with potential new money investors, including Hemen Holdings Ltd. In December 2016, we formally engaged with an ad hoc committee of bondholders, and agreed that by January 31 2017 we would release through a 6k filing agreed material non-public information disclosed to the ad hoc committee of bondholders, including the Company's latest restructuring proposal and the last proposal that the Company has received from the ad hoc committee.

Despite a drive by the European Union to diversify gas supplies and reduce its reliance on Russian imports, Gazprom increased its market share in Europe to 34 percent last year from 31 percent in 2015, posing a challenge to policymakers.

OPEC’s biggest crude producer is embarking on a domestic renewable-energy program costing $30 billion to $50 billion. The country’s only solar plant in operation, aside from a limited pilot project, is a 10-megawatt facility on top of a parking lot at Saudi Aramco’s headquarters. The national utility, Saudi Electricity Co., is seeking bids for two solar plants to generate a combined 100 megawatts.

“Today’s action to reapply for the Keystone XL Pipeline’s cross-border permit is an important step forward to building a 21st Century energy infrastructure system across our nation,” said Gerard. “The Keystone XL Pipeline would support tens of thousands of jobs, contribute billions of dollars to our economy, and deliver energy efficiently and safely to consumers.

Chevron's full-year 2016 results were a loss of $497 million ($0.27 per share – diluted) compared with earnings of $4.6 billion ($2.45 per share – diluted) in 2015.

Venezuela's president on Sunday created an executive vice president post and named new vice presidents to lead PDVSA in what he described as a shake-up of the state oil company and an effort to root out corruption in the OPEC nation's principal industry.

Oil demand grows but at a slowing pace; and non-combusted uses replace transport as the main source of demand growth by 2030s

Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh says Iran's crude oil output is at 3.9 million barrels per day.

Abullah bin Mohammed Al Thani, the fund’s chief executive, said it would invest a further $2bn on top of $500m of existing investments in the country. Some of the investments would be made jointly with the $10bn sovereign Russian Direct Investment Fund, its partner in a deal last summer for St. Petersburg’s airport, he added.

PetroChina, China's biggest listed oil company by assets, expected the supply and demand for global oil market would gradually become balanced in 2017 and international oil prices would "recover," the company said late Wednesday in a profits warning for the 2016 annual result.