PLATTS - The amount of gas held within the UK's medium-range natural gas storage facilities has fallen by more than 50% since the end of November on the back of high demand allied to weaker UK gas production.

GAZPROM - Pursuant to Gazprom’s investment program for 2018, the overall amount of investments will stand at RUB 1,278.830 billion, with RUB 798.428 billion intended for capital investments, RUB 40.983 billion for the acquisition of non-current assets, and RUB 439.419 billion for long-term financial investments.

GAZPROM - Last year, Gazprom exported a record 179.3 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe. The upward trend continued this year: as early as December 8, 2017, last year’s record was beaten, with total exports reaching 179.8 billion cubic meters of gas.

GAZPROM - “Today, we laid the basis for another pipeline route of Russian gas supplies to China. The project will expand the range of options for satisfying the growing demand for gas in the Chinese market,” said Alexey Miller.

GAZPROM - With LNG demand on the rise, Gazprom is making further efforts in this line of business.

REUTERS - Japan’s liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) imports from the United States are expected to double in 2017 to a record and account for around for around half of its total purchases, government and shipping data showed.

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.

BP - BP confirmed that production has started from the super-giant Zohr gas field, offshore Egypt. The field is operated by Eni, through its joint venture with The Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation (EGPC), and is the largest natural gas discovery yet to be made in the Mediterranean Sea.

NPD - On Tuesday, the licensees, led by operator VNG, submitted a Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for Fenja in the Norwegian Sea. Investments are expected to total approx. NOK 10 billion.

NPD - On Tuesday, operator Repsol submitted a new Plan for Development and Operation (PDO) for the Yme field in the North Sea. More eight billion kroner will be invested in the development. The planned start-up is 2020.

Petrobras and ExxonMobil signed a memorandum of understanding regarding a strategic alliance to jointly identify and evaluate potential business opportunities.

ExxonMobil Development Africa B.V. has acquired a 25 percent indirect interest in Mozambique’s gas-rich Area 4 block from Eni and assume responsibility for midstream operations.

GAZPROM - Alexey Miller and Ali Kardor, Iran’s Deputy Minister of Petroleum, CEO of National Iranian Oil Company, inked a Roadmap. Pursuant to the document, Gazprom will conduct a proof-of-concept study with regard to implementing integrated projects for hydrocarbon production, transmission and processing, including petrochemistry, in Iranian territory.

LUKOIL - The plan is based on the conservative $50 per barrel oil price scenario. Sustainable hydrocarbon production growth is planned in the Upstream business segment along with the growth in the share of high-margin projects in the overall production. In the Downstream business segment, the focus is on the improvement of operating efficiency and selective investment projects targeted at the enhancement of product slate.

BP - BP will acquire on completion a 43% equity share in Lightsource for a total consideration of $200 million, paid over three years. The great majority of this investment will fund Lightsource’s worldwide growth pipeline. The company will be renamed Lightsource BP and BP will have two seats on the board of directors.