May 2018

REUTERS - Brent crude oil futures were at $75.71 per barrel, up 84 cents, or 1.12 percent from their last close at 0416 GMT after climbing to $75.89 a barrel earlier in the session, its highest since November 2014. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 0.95 percent to trade at $70.39 per barrel, up 66 cents from their last settlement.

МИНФИН РОССИИ - Средняя цена нефти марки Urals по итогам января – апреля 2018 года составила $ 66,15 за баррель. В 2017 году средняя цена на Urals в январе – апреле составила $ 51,84 за баррель. Средняя цена на нефть марки Urals в апреле 2018 года сложилась в размере $ 69,08 за баррель, что в 1,35 раза выше, чем в апреле 2017 года ($ 51,11 за баррель).

OGJ - “I frankly don’t see it as a strategy,” Mitrova admitted. “When we look at Russia’s economy, energy is an important part. Hydrocarbons still represent the biggest share of its federal budget, but their share has dropped from 50% to 40%. There is no consistent long-term plan, and many decisions are driven by short-term adaptations. There is no clear consensus.”

SHANA - Iranian Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said Tehran preferred "reasonable" price for crude oil in a bid to avoid market instability.

SHANA - The CEO of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) said the country’s crude oil export stood at average 2.170 million barrels per day (mb/d) over the course of the previous Iranian calendar year of 1396 which ended on March 20.

WBG - For Nigeria to tap its spatial drivers of development, policymakers may want to focus on investments that reinforce clusters and economies of scale; optimize the connectivity between rural areas and the major urban markets; and address structural and land management issues in major urban nodes and along major growth corridors to remove or alleviate barriers that undermine the growth potential.

REUTERS - Qatar is taking a nearly 19 percent stake in Rosneft (ROSN.MM), rescuing the Russian oil major from its stalled deal to sell a major stake to China’s CEFC.

МИНФИН РОССИИ - По состоянию на 1 мая 2018 г. объем ФНБ составил 3 962 669,1 млн. рублей, что эквивалентно 63 914,3 млн. долл. США,

U.S. DOE - Energy storage will play an increasingly critical role in the resilient grid of the future. Storage systems provide important services, including improving grid stability, providing backup power, and allowing for greater integration of renewable resources. Today’s dominant storage options have limitations that inhibit their use as long-duration solutions, particularly their high cost.

U.S. DOL - Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 164,000 in April, and the unemployment rate edged down to 3.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, manufacturing, health care, and mining.