Last week, President Vladimir Putin said Russia wanted to resume direct gas sales to Ukraine -- and would be prepared to reduce the price Kyiv paid by 20%-25%.

The potential delay in Nord Stream 2 construction also undermines Russia's position in negotiating a new transit deal with Ukraine's Naftogaz. Ukraine transited some 87 Bcm of Russian gas to Europe in 2018 -- or some 44% of total Russian exports -- but those volumes are set to slump once the planned Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream gas pipelines come online.

Oil demand in India is projected to rise by 3.21 percent this year to 4.88 million barrels per day (mb/d), and further by 3.36 percent to 5.05 mb/d by next year, exceeding the 2.37 percent oil demand growth by China, according to the latest Oil Market Report by OPEC.

In a statement, Gazprom said it had sent a letter to Naftogaz -- signed by Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller -- to "extend the existing contract or to conclude a new gas transit agreement through Ukraine for a period of one year."

Putin said Ukraine still had work to do to align its gas regulatory landscape with that of Europe, questioning whether Kiev would be able to achieve this in time. "That is not up to us," he said. "Therefore, the risk of termination of transit exists."

Brent crude oil spot prices averaged $60 per barrel (b) in October, down $3/b from September and down $21/b from October 2018. EIA forecasts Brent spot prices will average $60/b in 2020, down from a 2019 average of $64/b. EIA forecasts that West Texas Intermediate (WTI) prices will average $5.50/b less than Brent prices in 2020. EIA expects crude oil prices will be lower on average in 2020 than in 2019 because of forecast rising global oil inventories, particularly in the first half of next year.

Crude oil throughput at China's domestic refineries jumped 9.2% year on year in October, to breach the 13 million b/d mark for the second time ever, at 13.68 million b/d,

"The law implements a European compromise, in which we, together with France and the Commission and other member states played a major role," Altmaier said.

Rosneft already supplies crude to India, shipping to its subsidiary Nayara Energy which operates the 20 million mt/year Vadinar refinery in Gujarat.

The timeline for work to lay the section of pipeline in Danish waters will be key to when Nord Stream 2 is able to begin flowing gas, with wider implications for the European gas market -- including whether Russia's Gazprom agrees a new transit deal with Ukraine's Naftogaz.

ACWA Power and Saudi Aramco signed a deal with Bangladesh Power Development Board to develop a 3,600-megawatt LNG-based power plant and terminal in the country.

Poland's antitrust authority, the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), said Friday it had imposed a fine on France's Engie of Zloty 172 million ($44.5 million) for its failure to provide the watchdog with documents regarding its agreements with Gazprom aboutfinancing the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline.

China has been relying heavily on Saudi Arabia and Russia for its refinery feedstock requirements over the recent years, with both producers constantly switching between them the top supplier position to Asia's biggest energy consumer.

Trader estimates for cargoes loading from Iran bound for China in November generally ranged between seven and 10. Some said the number was lower at six to seven, while one source said it did not exceed nine.

Alexey Miller pointed out that a number of strategic issues need to be resolved prior to the signing of a new transit contract.