BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 13 rigs from last week to 1,057, with oil rigs up 10 to 869, gas rigs up 3 to 186, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 2. Canada Rig Count is down 14 rigs from last week to 209, with oil rigs down 12 to 140 and gas rigs down 2 to 69.

REUTERS - Front-month Brent crude oil futures LCOc1 were at $71.88 per barrel at 0646 GMT, down 19 cents, or 0.3 percent from their last close. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were down by 22 cents, or 0.3 percent, at $66.59 a barrel.

REUTERS - U.S. exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to China in July fell to their lowest level in a year and are expected to decline further as the Sino-U.S. trade dispute forces utilities to seek alternative supplies.

REUTERS - PetroChina Ltd is in advanced discussions with Qatar to purchase liquefied natural gas (LNG) under short- and long-term agreements, three sources with knowledge of the talks said on Wednesday.

REUTERS - Originating at the giant Galkynysh gas field in Turkmenistan, the $9.6 billion TAPI (Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India) pipeline involves the four countries’ own energy companies, and would carry 33 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas a year.

PLATTS - Saudi Arabia pumped 10.63 million b/d in July, according to the latest S&P Global Platts OPEC survey, far above its quota of 10.06 million b/d, though kingdom officials say their July output was 10.29 million b/d. Russia produced 11.22 million b/d in July, according to official data, basically erasing its 300,000 b/d pledged cut.

PLATTS - The Southern Gas Corridor has received a waiver from US sanctions against Iran's energy customers, an expected win for the project, designed to transport 16 Bcm/year of Caspian natural gas to Turkey and southern Europe while bypassing Russia.

REUTERS - “U.S. decisions on sanctions do not affect the legal situation in Switzerland with regard to Iran,” said Fabian Maienfisch of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

PLATTS - Iraqi crude oil production hit its highest in 13 months in July of 4.46 million b/d, the country's State Oil Marketing Organization said Thursday.

OG.COM - “For more than four decades, the UAE and Japan have enjoyed a deep rooted and successful strategic relationship, underpinned by long standing energy partnerships,” Dr Al Jaber said. “ADNOC is keen to further strengthen the relationship, deepen partnerships and seize growth opportunities along the full oil and gas value chain.

IMF - The near-term macroeconomic outlook is broadly favorable. Growth is forecast to rise to 7.3 percent in FY2018/19 and 7.5 percent in FY2019/20, on strengthening investment and robust private consumption. Headline inflation is projected to rise to 5.2 percent in FY2018/19, as demand conditions tighten, along with the recent depreciation of the rupee and higher oil prices, housing rent allowances, and agricultural minimum support prices.

REUTERS - Turkey will build a third nuclear power plant in the Thrace region northwest of Istanbul, and will cooperate with China on the initiative, Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said on Wednesday.

REUTERS - Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis wants a decision by the end of 2018 on financing majority state-owned utility CEZ’s multi-billion dollar nuclear power expansion.

REUTERS - Pumping carbon dioxide into the air makes the planet greener; the United Nations puts out fake science about climate change to control the global energy market; and wind and solar energy are simply “dumb”.

NOVATEK - PAO NOVATEK announced that Yamal LNG has launched the second LNG train and dispatched the first cargo from this unit. The second LNG train commissioned six months ahead of its original schedule, and combined with the first LNG train launch in December 2017, has achieved the commissioning of the first two LNG trains in record time.