NPD - The Norwegian Petroleum Directorate’s forecasts show that, after a minor decline in 2019, oil and gas production will increase from 2020 and up to 2023. Overall production will then approach the record year of 2004.

WBG - Global economic growth is projected to soften from a downwardly revised 3 percent in 2018 to 2.9 percent in 2019 amid rising downside risks to the outlook, the World Bank said on Tuesday. International trade and manufacturing activity have softened, trade tensions remain elevated, and some large emerging markets have experienced substantial financial market pressures.

GT - Qatar's producer price index (PPI) – a measure of the average selling prices received by the domestic producers for their output – surged 18.9% on an yearly basis but reported a sharp 5.7% month-on-month decline during the review period, said the figures released by the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS).

GT - A robust expansion in foreign portfolio and other investments helped Qatar report about 9% year-on-year growth in total overseas investments into the country during the third quarter (Q3) of 2018, notwithstanding the ongoing diplomatic and trade embargo, according to the official estimates.

U.S. BLS - Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 312,000 in December, and the unemployment rate rose to 3.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, food services and drinking places, construction, manufacturing, and retail trade.

REUTERS - A final investment decision (FID) could be taken on more than 60 million tonnes per annum of LNG capacity this year, well above the previous record of about 45 million tonnes in 2005 and triple last year’s 21 million tonnes, Wood Mackenzie’s research director for global gas and LNG, Giles Farrer, said.

MEOG - An expected $210bn will be spent on offshore oilfield services globally next year, according to Rystad Energy’s latest project sanctioning report. Offshore contractors have experienced four consecutive years of declining revenues, but those still standing can expect revenues to start growing again next year.

IMF - The oil endowment allowed Angola to rebuild critical infrastructure, and progress has also been achieved in reducing poverty. Still, much remains to be done to reduce the economy’s dependence on oil and its vulnerability to oil price fluctuations so that enough resources can be made available to improve living standards for all the Angolan people.

GAZPROM - Pursuant to the investment program for 2019, the overall amount of investments will stand at RUB 1,325.724 billion, with RUB 963.019 billion intended for capital investments, RUB 151.505 billion for the acquisition of non-current assets, and RUB 211.2 billion for long-term financial investments.

AN - “Based on available figures, we have around 26 million barrels of surplus ... compared to 340 million barrels in early 2017,” Al-Mazrouei told a press conference in Kuwait City.

AN - Rouhani gave the value of the draft budget at about 4,700 trillion rials for the next Iranian year which starts on March 21, 2019 He said US sanctions would affect Iranians’ lives and growth but not bring the government to its knees

MEOG - Saudi Arabia's Council of Ministers approved its 2019 budget, the largest in the Kingdom's history. It has planned to spend $295bn in the coming year, and estimates revenue at $260bn. Deficit is therefore estimated at $35bn, down 32% from the expected deficit for 2018, $52bn. Actual deficit in 2018 sat at $36.2bn.

IMF - The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today approved a 14-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) for Ukraine. The arrangement amounts to the equivalent of SDR 2.8 billion (about US$3.9 billion, 139 percent of quota). The Board also took note of Ukraine’s decision to cancel the arrangement under the Extended Fund Facility for Ukraine that was approved on March 11, 2015.

AN - The United Arab Emirates plans to deposit $3 billion in Pakistan's central bank "in the next few days", the UAE state news agency WAM reported on Friday, while a Pakistani official said Islamabad also hopes it will allow deferred payments for oil supplies.

ADNOC - The Abu Dhabi government and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) have awarded Austria's OMV a 5 percent stake in the Ghasha ultra-sour gas concession that comprises the Hail, Ghasha, Dalma, Nasr, Sarb and Mubarraz sour gas fields.