2016

Natural gas futures rose 7.6% to settle at $2.088 a million British thermal unit on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the highest in more than two months. The market has lost more than 10% this year, as a mild winter limited heating demand. But losses have been pared in recent weeks, as a cool start to spring has buoyed expectations for demand.

South America’s two largest oil producing nations face bigger threats from political turmoil than depressed crude prices, but reforms in their national oil companies (NOC) and energy ministries may be essential for their governments to survive.

Tehran is seeking to make up for lost trade to Europe following the lifting of EU sanctions imposed in 2011 and 2012, which deprived it of a market that accounted for over a third of its exports and left it relying completely on Asian buyers.

Brent crude oil was last up 2.1% at $43.82 a barrel, above where it was before talks about a production freeze collapsed over the weekend. Analysts said oil prices drew support on Tuesday from a strike by oil workers in Kuwait, reducing concerns about a global glut of supply.

Общий объем недоинвестирования в отрасль за 2 года приближается к $400 млрд – это те факторы, которые оказывают влияние на рынок. При этом продолжается рост спроса на нефть – примерно на 1,2 млн баррелей в сутки, по оценкам экспертов. Цена около $40 за баррель сегодня отражает реальную рыночную картину, является приемлемой и для производителей, и для потребителей нефти в условиях существующего профицита предложения.

The Russian camp was locked in negotiations with the Saudis, Qataris and Venezuelans — a core group that had first backed the freeze in February.

Thousands of workers in six oil and petrochemical companies went on strike Sunday to protest proposed government cutbacks.

“The one hope is that earnings bounce back and company cash flows [improve],” Mr Caprio added. “If that doesn’t happen, [companies] will have debt to pay off and it is unclear how they’ll pay it.”

Industrial production—a broad gauge of output across U.S. factories, mines and power plants—decreased a seasonally adjusted 0.6% in March from the prior month, the Federal Reserve said Friday. Output has fallen for six of the past seven months. From a year earlier, industrial production decreased 2% in March. Manufacturing output, the largest component of the index, fell 0.3% in March.

Now the two sides, buyer and seller, will have to make do without the safety-net the contracts offered: high gas demand translates into high gas prices for the customers, while indexation to low oil prices would have deprived Gazprom of the upside of a temporary supply glitch or a prolonged cold winter.