September 2015

Russia is overhauling its approach to crafting the budget next year to safeguard reserves, highlighting the challenges it faces in steering the recession-hit economy through a downturn in oil prices.

In the first half of 2015, Saudi Arabia exported on average 4.4 million barrels per day (b/d) of crude oil to seven major trading partners in Asia, making up more than half of Saudi Arabia's total crude oil exports over that period. Even as global crude oil prices fell in 2014 and 2015, Saudi Arabia increased production and kept its export levels high, enabling it to maintain its market share in these countries. However, long-term trends within Saudi Arabia's energy sector may reduce its global crude oil market share.

Some of the largest U.S. shale oil producers have already begun slashing 2016 budgets, with some planning double-digit reductions starting next January, the latest sign low crude prices are forcing a radical adjustment in the industry.

Oil production from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) totaled 31.26 million barrels per day (b/d) in August, down 140,000 b/d from the July level of 31.4 million b/d as several member countries, including Saudi Arabia, trimmed output, according to a just-released Platts survey of OPEC and oil industry officials and analysts.

Together, these deals mean that Europe’s big energy companies want to return to business as usual with Russia, despite the continuing conflict in Ukraine and the EU’s continuing sanctions on Russia.

Low oil prices risk causing a lack of investment in conventional oil supply in non-OPEC countries, strengthening OPEC market power and creating additional uncertainty, the IEA's director for energy markets and security, Keisuke Sadamori, said Tuesday.

Preliminary government data showed oil and gas output over the first six months of this year rose 3 percent compared with 2014. The increase comes after years of investments in new technologies that have meant new fields are run more efficiently. However, the recent slump in oil prices has tightened oil companies' purse strings and Oil & Gas UK expects capital expenditure to fall to 10-11 billion pounds ($16.91 billion)this year, down from 14.7 billion pounds last year.

Energy companies have been hurt by the swoon in crude prices this year, but Canadian Oil Sands is among the worst performing. The company’s stock has lost almost 40% of its value so far this year, compared with a 22% decline in the Toronto Stock Exchange energy index.

Осуществленные инвестиции в добычу пока еще добавляют объемы на рынок, но происходящие сокращения инвестиций уже начинают оказывать влияние. В перспективе нескольких лет, несомненно, скажется эффект осуществляемых сейчас программ снижения инвестиций, прежде всего, со стороны транснациональных корпораций. Пока реализация их долгосрочных, начатых еще до нынешнего кризиса, инвестиционных программ выразилась даже в некотором росте добычи. Но уже в 2014 году нефтяные гиганты заявили о сокращении инвестиций в добычу, в 2015 году дополнительные сокращения на 10-20% и выше были анонсированы такими мейджерами как BP, Shell, Chevron, Total. Общая сумма сокращений инвестиций в добычу в мире составила около 140 млрд долларов, а к концу 2016 году увеличится до 200-250 млрд. долларов. В перспективе 2-3 лет это неизбежно скажется на уровня добычи и будет иметь долгосрочный негативный эффект.

Oil declined for a second day after another Russian official ruled out cooperation on production cuts with OPEC, adding to signs that a global oversupply will persist.