BEA - The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced today that the goods and services deficit was $46.2 billion in April, down $1.0 billion from $47.2 billion in March, revised.

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.” 

ГАЗПРОМ - Председатель Правления ПАО «Газпром» Алексей Миллер и Председатель Правления OMV AG Райнер Зеле подписали Соглашение о продлении действующего контракта между ООО «Газпром экспорт» и OMV Gas Marketing & Trading GmbH на поставку российского природного газа в Австрию до 2040 года. Ранее контракт действовал до 2028 года.

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.

REPSOL - Between 2018 and 2020, Repsol plans to invest 15 billion euros: 53% in its Upstream unit (Exploration and Production) and 45% in Downstream (Refining, Chemicals, Marketing, Lubricants, Trading, LPG, Gas & Power) and low-emissions assets.

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.

SAIPEM - Saipem has been awarded a Pipeline Project in the E&C Offshore sector in the Middle East worth approximately 1.3 billion USD.

BLOOMBERG - Billionaire David Koch is stepping down from leadership positions in his family’s business and conservative political empire because of deteriorating health, his older brother told company employees in a letter Tuesday.

API - “The implementation of new tariffs will disrupt the U.S. oil and natural gas industry’s complex supply chain, compromising ongoing and future U.S. energy projects, which could weaken our national security. Additionally, Canada, Mexico and the European Union are imperative members of our Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and are top military allies – far from a threat to America’s security.

IMF - The near-term growth outlook is broadly positive. Overall, GDP growth of 2.6 percent is projected for 2018. Inflation is expected to peak at 3.9 percent in 2018—as the impact of the value-added tax being introduced during the second half of 2018 would mostly be felt in that year—before easing to 2.2 percent in the medium term. The availability of significant external and fiscal buffers and the strong financial sector should enable the country to withstand downside risks, including lower-than-envisaged oil prices, tighter global conditions and an escalation of the diplomatic rift.

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.

REUTERS - Ukraine’s state energy group Naftogaz said it has asked Swiss courts to enforce a ruling that it receive $2.6 billion from Russian giant Gazprom after a long-running legal battle.

РОССЕТИ - Чистая прибыль группы «Россети» в первые три месяца 2018 года составила 32,9 млрд руб., что на 39,4 % больше, чем за аналогичный период прошлого года. При этом выручка составила 260,3 млрд рублей против 230,6 млрд рублей в январе – марте 2017 года.

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 - Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd [PETR.UL] said on Thursday it is buying a 25 percent stake in a Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project, nearly a year after cancelling its own planned terminal.