REUTERS - Uzbekistan plans to join an $8 billion project to build a natural gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to India, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said on Monday, although it was unclear whether Tashkent might eventually ship gas through it.

REUTERS - Egypt aims for foreign investment in the oil and gas sector to reach about $10 billion in the 2018/19 fiscal year that begins in July, Petroleum Minister Tarek El Molla said

REUTERS - BP (BP.L) has a “very strong” partnership with Russian oil giant Rosneft (ROSN.MM) but will steer away from politics, Chief Executive Officer Bob Dudley said on Tuesday, as Moscow could face new western sanctions.

SHELL - Shell has signed an agreement to sell its Downstream business in Argentina to Raízen for US$0.95 billion in cash proceeds at completion, subject to customary closing conditions. The sale includes the Buenos Aires Refinery, around 645 retail stations, liquefied petroleum gas, marine fuels, aviation fuels, bitumen, chemicals and lubricants businesses, as well as supply and distribution activities in the country. Additionally, after the transaction closes, the businesses acquired by Raízen will continue their relationships with Shell through various commercial agreements, which represent an estimated value of US$0.3 billion.

HALLIBURTON - Halliburton Company (NYSE:HAL) announced income from continuing operations of $46 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2018.

REUTERS - Brent crude futures were down 49 cents at $73.57 a barrel by 0911 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 51 cents to $67.89 a barrel.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - страны ОПЕК и государства, не входящие в ОПЕК, выполнили соглашение по добровольной корректировке объемов добычи нефти на 149%, что является самым высоким показателем в истории соглашения.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - «Активная позиция позволила обеспечить консенсус ведущих стран-производителей нефти по вопросу реализации «венских соглашений» о добровольной корректировке добычи нефти. Рынок видит успехи наших усилий по сокращению объемов запасов и реагирует позитивным образом", - отметил Александр Новак.

API - the American Petroleum Institute reported that U.S. petroleum demand reached 20.6 million barrels per day (MBD) last month, the highest level since 2007. To satisfy demand, domestic refineries utilized 91.5 percent of their capacity – a record for the month of March – and processed 17 MBD of oil and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The U.S. also produced a record 10.4 MBD of crude oil plus another 3.9 MBD of NGLs.

PLATTS - India ended the first quarter of 2018 with robust oil products demand growth of 8.5%, the fastest quarterly growth since Q3 2016, as a renewed push on infrastructure projects and surging auto sales lifted gasoline and gasoil consumption.

PLATTS - Global LNG imports in 2017 increased by nearly 10%, the highest annual growth rate since 2010, reaching 289.8 million mt, while expectations of an LNG surplus failed to materialize as rising imports into China contributed to balancing the market.

FT - US shale oil companies have started to generate free cash thanks to the rise in crude prices, a landmark moment for an industry that has until now relied on an inflow of capital to support its growth.

WBG - Bank Group must strengthen its financial capacity to meet the aspirations of its shareholders, mobilize capital at scale, and respond to global development challenges.

IMF - we agreed on the need to accelerate structural reforms and access to finance in order to raise overall investment and medium-term growth rates to support job creation. The Fund, through its policy advice, can assist countries to design and implement growth-friendly fiscal adjustment, when needed, that responds to the country-specific sources of debt vulnerabilities while preserving needed investments in infrastructure, human capital, and other priority expenditures

IMF - Directors also agreed that the Fund should continue to address governance issues and corruption in surveillance when the applicable standard of the Integrated Surveillance Decision has been met.