U.S. crude oil production sustained a record-tying 12.1 million barrels per day (mb/d) in April while total petroleum demand was the highest for the month since 2007 at 20.2 million barrels per day.

BHGE - U.S. Rig Count is down 1 rig from last week to 987, with oil rigs down 3 to 802, gas rigs up 2 to 185, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 0. Canada Rig Count is unchanged from last week at 63, with oil rigs unchanged at 22 and gas rigs unchanged at 41.

July ICE Brent crude futures were up 35 cents/b (0.48%) from Thursday's settle to $72.97/b, while the NYMEX June light sweet crude contract gained 41 cents/b (0.65%) at $63.28/b.

The region needs more peace and stability to ensure the flow of oil supplies, Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC, has said, noting that, "Any tension that occurs in the region affects the whole world."

“The U.S. and China have a natural supply-demand match when it comes to energy, but China’s increase of retaliatory tariffs to 25 percent poses a threat to U.S. investment in LNG by limiting our share in the world’s fastest growing LNG market,” said Stephen Comstock, API Director. “These retaliatory tariffs dampen the prospects for the growing U.S. LNG investment, hurt U.S. workers, and benefit America’s foreign competitors.

The Africa Energy Forum (AEF) is the global investment meeting for Africa’s power, energy, infrastructure and industrial sectors.

Gazprom's sales of Russian gas dropped 10% in the first quarter, analysis of quarterly results showed, as sales from storage dipped compared with 2018.