Europe could take advantage of global LNG dynamics, but much of the evolution of the European LNG market depends on Gazprom’s decisions in the short to medium term,

After the cancellation of the South Stream natural gas pipeline last December due to the EU’s blockage of the project, Russia announced an alternative project called the Turkish Stream which will hit the shore on the European side of Turkey near Kıyıköy.

Rosneft Brasil (Rosneft subsidiary) and PetroRio received approval by the Brazilian National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANP) for the Rosneft Brasil transaction to acquire additional 55% in the Solimoes project. Under the agreement the final completion date of the purchase and transaction shall be agreed between PetroRio and Rosneft Brasil and is expect to occur within 30 days.

U.S. Rig Count is up 3 rigs from last week to 862, with oil rigs up 12 to 640, gas rigs down 9 to 219, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 3.

Turkey remains reluctant to enter the EU Energy Community, as it would decrease its leeway on its energy policies. European laws can suit some other neighbours, but Turkey is a completely different case. Its importance for Europe, in the energy sector or in relation to migration issues, should not be underestimated.

Ukraine expects to store enough natural gas for next winter despite cutting off imports from Russia and Russian flows crossing the country destined for Europe will not be disrupted, Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchyshyn said on Thursday.

The exchange in Shanghai has registered capital of 1 billion yuan and 10 shareholders. State-run Xinhua News Agency has the largest stake – at 33 percent – followed by the country's Big Three oil and gas producers. China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), China Petrochemical Corp. Group and China National Offshore Oil Corp. each own 10 percent.

Egypt’s average natural gas production declined this year to 4.395bn cubic feet per day, compared to about 4.6bn cubic feet in 2014.

The efforts of China to ensure its economic development and preeminence include the creation of the “New Silk Road” - the enormous system of infrastructure mega-projects to stretch from the Pacific to the Atlantic. If completed, it will be the largest infrastructure undertaking ever built. Natural gas features prominently in the plan.

The European Union would find it difficult to reduce its reliance on natural gas imports from Russia, according to industry experts.

Natural gas faces growing competition from coal and renewable energy sources at a time when its potential demand growth is slowing down, an International Energy Agency official said. “The last large contracts for [LNG] were signed in 2014 just before oil prices collapsed. We believe it is still competitive, but there are risks,” said Laszlo Varro, who heads IEA’s gas, coal and power markets division.

New corridors along the Nord Stream natural gas pipeline through the Baltic Sea to European markets should be in service by 2019, Russia's Gazprom said.

Argentina and China have respectively drilled more than 275 and 200 wells targeting shale plays over the past 2 years, providing each country with the potential to significantly increase production of shale gas and tight oil.

U.S. Rig Count is up 2 rigs from last week to 859, with oil rigs down 3 to 628, gas rigs up 5 to 228, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 3.

According to a recent report from Swift Worldwide Resources, over 150,000 jobs in the global oil and gas industry have been cut since oil prices began to tumble last summer.