REUTERS - Environmentalists derided the “tar sands” as too dirty for investment, and analysts said the region’s high production costs made little sense in a world of $50-a-barrel oil.

REUTERS - Malaysia’s state-owned oil and gas company Petroliam Nasional Bhd [PETR.UL] said on Thursday it is buying a 25 percent stake in a Canadian liquefied natural gas (LNG) export project, nearly a year after cancelling its own planned terminal.

REUTERS - Brent LCOc1 rose 40 cents to $75.79 a barrel by 0925 GMT, after trading as low as $74.81 earlier. U.S. crude CLc1 was up 25 cents at $66.98.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - «Я думаю, что мы найдем общее согласие, общий компромисс. Все страны заинтересованы в стабильной ситуации на рынке. Никто не заинтересован в том, чтобы создавать перегрев на рынке», - отметил Министр.

REUTERS - The global oil industry should ramp up investment to ensure it can cope with future consumption growth and avoid supply shortages, OPEC Secretary-General Mohammad Barkindo told a conference in Baku.

EIA - Financial Review of the Global Oil and Natural Gas Industry: 2017 - Brent crude oil daily average prices were $54.75 per barrel in 2017—21% higher than 2016 levels - Excluding proved reserve acquisitions, upstream costs incurred increased from 2016 levels but remained lower than 2008–15 levels - Proved reserves additions in 2017 approached the highest levels in the 2008–17 period - Finding plus lifting costs fell to $29 dollars per barrel of oil equivalent in 2017, the lowest level in the 2008–17 period - The energy companies reduced debt in 2017, the first year in the 2008–17 period - Refiners with global refining assets reduced distillation capacity for the eighth consecutive year

OPEC - The JMMC reported that participating countries have achieved a conformity level of 152% during the fourth month of the second year of the Declaration of Cooperation. This demonstrates the commitment of participating countries to the restoration of market stability, which is intended to serve the long term interests of producers, consumers and the global economy.

BLOOMBERG - India, a long-time buyer of oil from both Iran and Venezuela, only complies with United Nations-mandated sanctions and not those imposed by one country on another, said foreign minister Sushma Swaraj at a press conference in New Delhi on Monday.

ROSATOM - ROSATOM and French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission signed the strategic document on French-Russian partnership in the peaceful uses of atomic energy.

IMF - We expect growth to stay strong this year and next—at 3.9 percent. This is being driven by stronger investment and a rebound in trade. Once again, the momentum is broad-based, encompassing the United States, Europe, Japan, China, Russia, and many other emerging market and developing countries.

IMF - China’s economic growth accelerated in 2017 and is expected to weaken only slightly in 2018 to 6.6 percent and moderate gradually to about 5½ percent by 2023.

IMF - The fiscal stance is also supportive with the primary deficit projected to widen from 1.7 to 2.4 percent of GDP in 2018, as implied by the budget. GDP growth is projected to accelerate from 1 percent in 2017 to about 2 percent in 2018, driven by private consumption and investment.

LUKOIL - Profit attributable to PJSC "LUKOIL" shareholders was RUB 109.1 bln, up 75.0% year-on-year. Profit growth was mainly driven by significant negative non-cash foreign exchange effect in the first quarter of 2017. Excluding this factor, profit attributable to PJSC "LUKOIL" shareholders increased by 13.5%.

Novak Saudi Russia Oil Policy Shift OPEC

REUTERS - Brent crude futures LCOc1 stood at $75.35 a barrel at 0913 GMT, down $1.09 from the previous close and after touching a three-week low of $74.49 earlier in the session. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $66.69, down $1.19, after hitting a six-week low of $65.80.