PENINSULA - Currently, Qatar is leading liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports with 12 consecutive years under its belt, while the US is looking to raise its LNG exports with its abundant shale gas supplies.

REUTERS - A final investment decision (FID) could be taken on more than 60 million tonnes per annum of LNG capacity this year, well above the previous record of about 45 million tonnes in 2005 and triple last year’s 21 million tonnes, Wood Mackenzie’s research director for global gas and LNG, Giles Farrer, said.

MEOG - An expected $210bn will be spent on offshore oilfield services globally next year, according to Rystad Energy’s latest project sanctioning report. Offshore contractors have experienced four consecutive years of declining revenues, but those still standing can expect revenues to start growing again next year.

TASS - Accident-tolerant nuclear fuel Rosatom specialists created in 2018 will considerably enhance the safety of nuclear power plants, the A.A. Bochvar High Technology Research Institute for Inorganic Materials (VNIINM) said in a news release.

ASAHI - At least 1.9 trillion yen ($17.12 billion) will be needed for the planned scrapping of 79 nuclear facilities, including the failed Monju prototype fast-breeder reactor, according to the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA).

PLATTS - German wind power output rose to a new annual record in 2018, up 5.4% or 5.7 TWh year on year at 111.4 TWh, TSO data aggregated by think tank Fraunhofer ISE show.

REUTERS - Brent crude LCOc1 futures rose 4 cents to settle at $52.20 a barrel, off the session high of $53.80 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude CLc1 futures rose 72 cents to settle at $45.33 a barrel, after earlier reaching $46.22 a barrel.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - «Наше сотрудничество насчитывает долгие годы конструктивного взаимодействия. Мы ведем совместную работу по формированию общих рынков газа, нефти, нефтепродуктов и электроэнергии ЕАЭС. Россия осуществляет стабильные поставки в Республику нефтепродуктов и газа», - отметил Министр.

PLATTS - Russia's Gazprom expects its total natural gas exports to Europe and Turkey to reach 201 Bcm in 2018, CEO Alexei Miller said Friday, a third year of record export volumes.

WNN - Uzbekistan, Central Asia's most populous nation, has one of the fastest growing economies in the world. The World Bank is forecasting GDP growth of about 5% this year and next, and 5.5% in 2020. Current projections indicate that, to match these trends and consumer demand, we will need to double electricity output by 2030.

IMF - The oil endowment allowed Angola to rebuild critical infrastructure, and progress has also been achieved in reducing poverty. Still, much remains to be done to reduce the economy’s dependence on oil and its vulnerability to oil price fluctuations so that enough resources can be made available to improve living standards for all the Angolan people.

PLATTS - Brazilian state-led oil company Petrobras registered a 1.4% month-on-month slide in domestic crude oil output in November as ongoing maintenance work at offshore floating production units offset fresh flows from new wells.

BHGE - U.S. Rig Count is up 3 rigs from last week to 1,083, with oil rigs up 2 to 885 and gas rigs up 1 to 198. Canada Rig Count is down 61 rigs from last week to 70, with oil rigs down 43 to 15 and gas rigs down 18 to 55.

REUTERS - Brent crude oil LCOc1 dropped $1.67 a barrel, or 3.1 percent, to a low of $52.80 before recovering to around $53.45 by 1205 GMT. U.S. light crude oil CLc1 slipped $1.30 to $44.92 and was last 80 cents lower at $45.42.

PLATTS - The US has long opposed the Nord Stream expansion, arguing that Europe should not be so dependent on Moscow for energy. The government has recently been touting US LNG exports as an alternative to Russian gas, in addition to supporting the Southern Gas Corridor from the Caspian region to the EU.