U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur L. Ross, Jr. issued the following statement today on the release of the February 2017 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services monthly data. In February 2017, the trade deficit stood at $43.6 billion compared to $45.6 billion in February 2016. In February 2017, exports of goods and services stood at $192.9 billion, compared to $180.7 billion in February 2016. In February 2017, imports of goods and services stood at $236.4 billion, compared to $226.3 billion in February 2016.

Directors welcomed the creation of new anticorruption institutions, but strongly urged the authorities to strengthen these institutions further and to establish an independent anticorruption court to achieve concrete results, in order to support the reform program, attract investment, and achieve faster growth.

Comprehensive restructuring plan will require a substantial impairment or conversion of our bonds, as well as impairment, losses or substantial dilution for other stakeholders. As a result, the Company currently expects that shareholders are likely to receive minimal recovery for their existing shares.

International benchmark Brent futures rose 3 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $53.56 a barrel by 0658 GMT. The March contract closed the previous session down 13 cents at $52.83 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 10 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $50.70 a barrel after settling 25 cents higher in the previous session.

Министр также рассказал о влиянии санкций на реализацию проектов в Арктике. «Ни один российский проект не остановился. Наша промышленность от санкций только выиграла, Например, сегодня «Газпром» уже использует в арктической зоне 100% оборудования российского производства. Что касается того импорта, который пока остался, то мы переориентировались на наших восточных партнеров», - сказал Александр Новак.

Средняя цена нефти марки Urals по итогам января – марта 2017 года составила $ 52,04 за баррель.

To meet Sustainable Energy for All objectives, it is estimated that renewable energy investment would need to increase by a factor of 2-3, while energy efficiency investment would need to increase by a factor of 3-6. Estimates suggest that a five-fold increase would be needed to reach universal access by 2030.

The world’s largest listed oil company by output has spent the past four months trumpeting agreements to buy oil from Egypt, Libya and Iraqi Kurdistan, drilling exploration wells in southern Iraq and considering opportunities in Lebanon, as it chases deals to fuel its fledgling international expansion.

Korea Gas Corp (KOGAS), Japan's JERA and China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC) [SASACY.UL] - whose joint liquefied natural gas volumes account for a third of global LNG trade - are attempting to cement a shift in power from producers to importers amid a supply glut that is expected to persist into the early-2020s.

A government panel said in a report in April 2015 that Hazira LNG will look to expand the capacity of its LNG terminal in the western state of Gujarat by 50% to 7.5 MMtpy in the fiscal year to March 2017.

U.S. Rig Count is up 374 rigs from last year's count of 450, with oil rigs up 300, gas rigs up 72, and miscellaneous rigs up 2. Canadian Rig Count is up 106 rigs from last year's count of 49, with oil rigs up 44, gas rigs up 62, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged.

Brent crude futures LCOc1, the international benchmark for oil, were at $52.70 per barrel at 0513 GMT, down 26 cents from their last close. In the United States, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures CLc1 were down 18 cents at $50.17 a barrel.

"This is a big event," Putin said. "If we keep moving at this pace, which I must say is rather impressive even to me...then Russia not only can but will become the largest LNG producer in the world."

Natural gas futures for April delivery traded down by about 1% in advance of the EIA's report, at around $3.20 per million BTUs, and traded at $3.19 shortly after the data release. Natural gas closed at $3.23 per million BTUs on Wednesday, the highest closing price in the past week. The 52-week range for natural gas is $2.56 to $3.65. One year ago the price for a million BTUs was around $2.63.

The project has significant public importance, as it will give an impetus to economic and social development in the Russian Arctic. The Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area is home to some of Gazprom’s key fields, which are expected to provide the bulk of Russia’s natural gas in the long term. To ensure efficient field development, the transport infrastructure should be expanded accordingly.