U.S. Rig Count is down 340 rigs from last year's count of 848, with oil rigs down 238, gas rigs down 104, and miscellaneous rigs up 2. Canadian Rig Count is down 51 rigs from last year's count of 185, with oil rigs up 4, gas rigs down 56, and miscellaneous rigs up 1.

London Brent crude for November delivery was down 58 cents at $49.41 a barrel as of 0647 GMT after rising above $50 for the first time in two weeks and settling up $2.01, or 4.2 percent, on Thursday. NYMEX crude for October delivery was down 51 cents at $47.11.

Iran has told OPEC it pumped 3.63 million barrels of oil per day (bpd) in August, up 10,000 bpd from July, an OPEC source said, marking a slowdown in the rapid growth that followed the lifting of Western sanctions in January.

The decline in earnings was driven largely by the decline in crack spreads (the price difference between crude oil and petroleum products) in the second quarter. In addition to changes in crack spreads, which serve as an indicator of refinery profits, earnings per barrel reflect transportation costs and other operating expenses. Also, refiners use different crude oil blends and produce different yields of refined products, which changes the per barrel earnings among refiners.

The World Bank finances projects for faster delivery of benefits to the people of Egypt in key sectors including social safety nets, energy, transport, water and sanitation, agriculture and irrigation, housing, health, as well as supporting employment-intensive projects and financing for micro and small enterprises. The current portfolio of the World Bank in Egypt includes 24 projects for a total commitment of about US$ 7 billion.

London Brent crude for November delivery had climbed 75 cents to $48.73 a barrel by 0400 GMT, after settling up 72 cents on Wednesday. NYMEX crude for October delivery was up 79 cents at $46.29, having ended the previous session up 67 cents.

Brent crude oil prices are forecast to average $43/b in 2016 and $52/b in 2017. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil prices are forecast to average $1/b less than Brent in 2016 and 2017.

Если говорить о сотрудничестве в газовой сфере, это увеличение поставок СПГ в Японию, возможность участия компаний и банков этой страны в возведении второй очереди "Ямал СПГ" (речь идет о проекте завода по сжижению природного газа "Арктик СПГ-2" на полуострове Гыдан — прим. ред.). В ходе переговоров представители японской стороны также отметили, что очень довольны итогами своего участия в "Сахалине-2" и проявляют интерес к финансированию и строительству третьей очереди СПГ-завода "Сахалин-2". Кроме того, они также хотели бы расширить поставки углеводородов с сахалинских проектов.

Oil and gas companies are poised to increase spending on exploration and production globally by 5% in 2017, while offshore spending may continue to fall next year, based on Barclays’ midyear global spending survey of more than 200 companies.

“This important contract is a key milestone for the Nord Stream 2 project: It will provide the logistical back-bone for the construction phase and is fully in line with our project schedule,” said Nord Stream 2 chief project officer Henning Kothe. “We are also pleased that Wasco will be co-operating with the ports, which successfully participated already in implementation of the existing Nord Stream.”

The international rig count for August 2016 was 937 down 1 from the 938 counted in July 2016, and down 200 from the 1,137 counted in August 2015. The international offshore rig count for August 2016 was 228, up 2 from the 226 counted in July 2016, and down 42 from the 270 counted in August 2015.

Oil sands are one of the world’s most expensive and are also among the most carbon dioxide-intensive forms of crude-oil extraction.

November Brent crude futures rose 49 cents to $47.75 a barrel by 0900 GMT, while U.S. crude futures added 46 cents at $45.29 a barrel.

“Iran wants a stable market and therefore any measure that helps the stabilisation of the oil market is supported by Iran,” Mr Zanganeh said. “We support oil prices between $50 and $60 per barrel.”

"Our government supported the freeze and we have to support the freeze. We have the capacity to produce more. But if the freeze is for a certain period and will stabilize the market, definitely the freeze is in our favor,"