Russian gas producer Gazprom said on Tuesday it has raised 9 billion euros ($10 billion) and 171 billion rubles ($2.8 billion) from a pool of international and Russian banks to finance its Amur gas processing plant.

Spending an estimated Eur66 billion on the three projects, Gazprom clearly saw money as being no object to achieving its goals -- be they economic, geopolitical or both.

It was highlighted that the ongoing global growth in natural gas consumption is one of the chief trends of 2019.

This was supposed to be a breakout year for US LNG export projects getting commercially sanctioned. But with 2019 wrapping up, just two new export terminals and an additional train at an existing facility made it over the line to construction.

Ukraine is a key transit route for Russian piped gas exports to Europe and the existing deal between the two post-Soviet countries expires at the end of 2019.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait signed an agreement Tuesday to resume pumping at two major oilfields in a shared neutral zone shut for five years due to a bilateral disagreement, officials said.

Artificial Intelligence, AI, will be a key enabling technology in achieving renewable energy and sustainability targets, according to a report, "Artificial Intelligence: Transforming the Future of Energy and Sustainability," released today, ahead of January’s 2020 World Future Energy Summit.

The macroeconomic outlook is more subdued and uncertain than in recent years. India's economy growth is projected at 6.1 percent in FY2019/20. Investment and private consumption are expected to firm in the second half of the fiscal year.

Brent was down 22 cents, or 0.33%, at $65.92 per barrel, WTI was down 25 cents, or 0.41%, at $60.19 a barrel

"The organizing company [Naftogaz] will reserve transport capacities for five years in the amount of 225 Bcm, including 65 Bcm for 2020, 40 Bcm for 2021 and subsequent years, subject to the establishment of a competitive tariff," Miller told reporters.

“Such sanctions are a serious interference in the internal affairs of Germany and Europe and their sovereignty. We firmly reject this,” Scholz told German broadcaster ARD in comments released on Saturday. But he rejected countermeasures.

The EU first imposed energy sanctions in July 2014 when it limited Russia 's access to European technology and services for developing Arctic, deepwater and unconventional oil resources.

Switzerland’s AllSeas Group SA removed vessels that were laying the last section of the pipeline connecting Russia with Germany, which was just weeks away from completion, after U.S. President Donald Trump approved sanctions targeting the project.

In anticipation of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Allseas has suspended its Nord Stream 2 pipelay activities. Allseas will proceed, consistent with the legislation’s wind down provision and expect guidance comprising of the necessary regulatory, technical and environmental clarifications from the relevant US authority.

The project could cost 1 trillion yen ($9.1 billion). The parties plan to make a final investment decision in 2021 and start production in 2027.