In the latest report on Croatia, the European Commission has warned that Croatian Law on the gas market does not encourage competition, and that such a situation could jeopardize further integration into the European energy market, as well as projects such as the LNG terminal on the island of Krk.

ConocoPhillips, the third-largest U.S. oil producer, is exploring the sale of some its North Sea assets in Norway as it seeks to divest overseas operations, two people with knowledge of the matter said.

Weatherford International raised its layoff target to 10,000 positions on Thursday after booking an over 50 percent income drop in the first quarter.

Baker Hughes Inc (BHI.N), which is being bought by Halliburton Co (HAL.N) for $35 billion, said it expects "unfavorable market conditions" to persist in the second quarter as drillers turn off more rigs, intensifying a glut in oilfield services.

Russia has a five year window, at best, to successfully enter the global LNG markets and even that window is closing fast. That sentiment was the major takeaway from the recent Russian LNG Congress in Moscow.

Brussels will on Wednesday accuse Russia’s Gazprom of illegal abuse of its dominant position in Europe’s gas market, unveiling antitrust charges that threaten to inflame already difficult relations with Moscow.

The UK is to force Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman to sell a dozen North Sea gas fields owned by his $10bn energy fund L1 Energy, giving him just three months to comply or lose operating rights.

Oil services company Weatherford International Plc increased the total number of employees it is looking to lay off in 2015 to 10,000 as it copes with the fall in oil prices.

Halliburton has cut 9,000 jobs in about six months and is considering additional cost-cutting moves as falling oil prices reduce demand for its drilling help.

Revenue for the first quarter of 2015 was $4.6 billion, down 20% compared to the first quarter of 2014.

Schlumberger Announces First-Quarter 2015 Results

Germany-based Wintershall revealed a plan Wednesday to significantly ramp up its presence and production in the North Sea.

Schlumberger Ltd., the world’s largest oilfield services provider, will eliminate an additional 11,000 positions in a sign the industry will undergo another round of job cuts as a result of tumbling crude prices.

Russia is pushing ahead with plans to build a pipeline to Turkey and further on to Greecevia the Black Sea, in line with its plans to stop exporting gas via Ukraine by 2019.

Lukoil will likely pull out from Saudi Arabia where the economics of its search for gas have been crushed by the collapse of the oil price, three industry sources said.