2016

Directors emphasized the need for continuing structural reforms to support a successful transition and improve the efficiency of the economy. They saw merit in continued restraint in wage settlements and further reforms to reinvigorate productivity growth. Aligning public sector pensions with recent private sector reforms and reforms to sickness and disability pensions could increase labor force participation. Directors also saw scope for efficiency gains from reducing tax preferences for owner-occupied housing and relaxing supply restrictions in the housing market.

"The Future Growth and Wellhead Pressure Management Project represents an excellent opportunity for the company," said Chevron Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Watson. "The project builds on a record of strong performance at Tengiz and will add value for Chevron and its stockholders."

Kuwait's budget deficit reflects the impact lower oil prices have had on crude exporters, particularly Gulf Arab monarchies that rely on oil revenues to support generous subsidies, welfare benefits and public sector wages.

Eni is the operator of the giant Zohr field offshore Egypt, which is close to the boundary with Cyprus. It is due to start up in 2017, with domestic demand expected to account for some of the output.

About $5 trillion in ship-borne trade passes every year though the energy-rich, strategic waters of the South China Sea, where China's territorial claims overlap in parts with Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan.

The number of rigs running in the US to drill the horizontal wells used for shale oil production has been rising since May. At 272 last week it was at its highest level since early April, according to Baker Hughes, the oilfield services company.

The United States holds more recoverable oil reserves than Saudi Arabia and Russia thanks in large part to its shale oil, Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy said in a report.

Indonesia's state-owned oil and gas company Pertamina will seek partners to build a strategic petroleum reserve of about 25 million barrels to ensure energy security.

To make matters worse, evidence suggests that, after controlling for income levels, the responsiveness of consumption to income gains for most of the income distribution has weakened in recent years. This puts further downward pressure on consumption. Combined, these effects are estimated to translate to about 3½ percentage points of lost U.S. consumption over 1998–2013—equivalent to more than one year of total consumption growth.

US crude oil production during April amounted to 8.933 million b/d, a decline of 2.5% from the March average and 7.9% from the April 2015 average.