November 2016

Royal Dutch Shell Plc will invest $10 billion in Brazil over five years now that the country has increased opportunities for foreign companies in its oil industry, its chief executive officer said on Thursday.

ConocoPhillips has set its 2017 capital expenditures guidance at $5 billion, down 4% compared with its 2016 guidance of $5.2 billion and less than half of its 2015 capex and investments that totaled $10.1 billion. The firm recently cut its 2016 capex from $5.5 million.

Total investment in oil and natural gas extraction in Norway was 21% lower in the first half of 2016 compared with the first half of 2015, a decline of about 20.9 billion Norwegian kroner (US $3.5 billion). However, investment cuts have affected some segments of the industry more than others.

At 3:30 pm Singapore time (0739 GMT), January ICE Brent crude futures were down 64 cents/b (1.39%) from Tuesday's settle at $45.40/b, while the NYMEX December light sweet crude contract fell 59 cents/b (1.31%) to $44.39/b.

EIA expects Brent crude oil prices will average close to $48/ barrel (b) in the fourth quarter of 2016 and in the first quarter of 2017. Forecast Brent prices average $43/b in 2016 and $51/b in 2017. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices are forecast to average about $1/b less than Brent prices in 2017. The values of futures and options contracts indicate significant uncertainty in the price outlook, with NYMEX contract values for February 2017 delivery traded during the five-day period ending November 3 suggesting that a range from $35/b to $66/b encompasses the market expectation of WTI prices in February 2017 at the 95% confidence level.

Средняя цена нефти марки Urals по итогам января-октября 2016 года составила $ 40,72 за баррель.

The IMF Executive Board will meet on Friday, November 11 to discuss Egypt’s request for financial assistance under an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) for the amount of $12 billion.

The World Bank welcomes Egypt’s recent economic and social reform measures including the floatation of the currency, measures to boost investment especially in Upper Egypt, adjusting energy prices to reflect market conditions, and strengthening the social safety net.

Libya, a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, is struggling to boost crude production and exports since the NOC reached an agreement in September with Khalifa Haftar, the commander of forces controlling important oil ports. As a result of the deal, the country was able to ship 781,000 barrels from the port of Ras Lanuf on Sept. 21, the first international cargo from that terminal since force majeure was declared in December 2014.

The North Sea oil and gas industry currently faces fierce global competition to attract investment, with the combined challenges of a low oil price, a maturing industry and uncertainty for the sector. Oil & Gas UK’s recently published Economic Report 2016 found that investment in the UK continental shelf has fallen to around £9 billion this year, from a record £14.8 billion in 2014, illustrating the difficulty for investors in accessing finance for asset development.