U.S. Rig Count is down 9 rigs from last week to 406, with oil rigs down 10 to 318, gas rigs up 1 to 87, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. Canadian Rig Count is up 7 rigs from last week to 43, with oil rigs up 5 to 16, gas rigs up 2 to 26, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1.

In light of the increasing demand for Russian energy products in Europe, the meeting participants stressed the importance of the Nord Stream 2 project. It was noted that the new gas transmission pipeline would not only improve the reliability of gas deliveries but also facilitate the development of the European gas market.

Reform of sprawling state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to improve efficiency is a priority for China's leaders as growth slows in the world's second biggest economy, and was a key plank of the country's latest five-year plan agreed in 2015.

Brent crude oil prices are forecast to average $41/b in 2016 and $51/b in 2017.

Japan is aiming to become an international LNG trading hub by the early 2020s, opening access to receiving terminals and beefing up large-scale storage facilities.

Azerbaijan can boost annual gas exports to 50bn m3 by 2050, deputy energy minister Natig Abbasov said recently.

Nigeria's oil output fell close to a 22-year low this month due to attacks on oil pipelines in the southern Niger Delta, home to much of the country's oil and gas wealth, compounding the impact of low oil prices on Africa's largest economy.

Tesco Corporation Reports First Quarter 2016 Results: - Revenues declined to $35.5 million as a result of challenging market conditions - Cash increased $2.4 million during the quarter, ending at $53.9 million with no debt - Adjusted EBITDA was $(7.8) million, or (22)% of revenue - Reported diluted EPS was a loss of $1.45 and adjusted EPS was a loss of $0.46, after $0.99 in charges - Restructuring programs since Q4 2014 expected to yield $60 million of annualized savings

Internal differences are killing OPEC and its ability to influence the markets has all but evaporated, top Russian oil executive Igor Sechin told Reuters in some of his harshest remarks ever about the oil cartel.

After jumping more than 2% as the markets opened with Asian trading Sunday night, both major contracts fell as reports emerged that the threat from the fires was diminishing, at least for the moment.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, plans “significant growth” in output in 2016 and further international expansion, the head of the country’s state-run producer said, even as global oversupply contributed to a drop in crude prices from a year ago.

Libya's production was down to 212,000 barrels on Monday, after the largest National Oil Corp (NOC) subsidiary, AGOCO, was forced to slash output by one-third from southeastern fields, an NOC spokesman in Tripoli said.

Light, sweet crude prices for June delivery varied widely on the New York market during Apr. 29 trading, closing at $45.92/bbl after swinging from a daily high of $46.78 and a low of $45.24.

The pullout comes as crude oil prices have plummeted to less than half their June 2014 levels, forcing oil companies to slash spending. For Shell and ConocoPhillips, the decision to abandon Arctic acreage was formalized just before a May 1 due date to pay the U.S. government millions of dollars in rent to keep holdings in the Chukchi Sea north of Alaska.

Iran plans to double its Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) production in the post-sanctions era, Deputy Director of International Affairs for Marketing and Crude Oil Operation in the National Iranian Oil Company Safar-Ali Karamati said.