Japan's crude imports from Iran recovered to pre-sanction levels in May, importing 307,691 b/d, up 61.2% year on year and up from 19,161 b/d in April, according to preliminary data released June 30 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Eni engineering and construction subsidiary Saipem on Thursday announced the award of offshore engineering and construction contracts with a combined value of more than USD 1.5 billion, including work related to the Zohr gasfield development project in Egyptian waters.

"The Future Growth and Wellhead Pressure Management Project represents an excellent opportunity for the company," said Chevron Chairman and Chief Executive Officer John Watson. "The project builds on a record of strong performance at Tengiz and will add value for Chevron and its stockholders."

Eni is the operator of the giant Zohr field offshore Egypt, which is close to the boundary with Cyprus. It is due to start up in 2017, with domestic demand expected to account for some of the output.

The number of rigs running in the US to drill the horizontal wells used for shale oil production has been rising since May. At 272 last week it was at its highest level since early April, according to Baker Hughes, the oilfield services company.

The United States holds more recoverable oil reserves than Saudi Arabia and Russia thanks in large part to its shale oil, Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy said in a report.

US crude oil production during April amounted to 8.933 million b/d, a decline of 2.5% from the March average and 7.9% from the April 2015 average.

U.S. Rig Count is up 10 rigs from last week to 431, with oil rigs up 11 to 341, gas rigs down 1 to 89, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1. Canadian Rig Count is unchanged from last week at 76, with oil rigs down 1 to 35, gas rigs up 1 to 40, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged at 1.

The company said this week in a presentation on its website that the decision on expanding the Tengiz development in Kazakhstan will be made in mid-2016. Installing 4,500 camp beds for construction crews is done and port dredging 25 percent complete, it said. The project may cost as much as $40 billion and add crude supply equivalent to that of Libya. The investment was put on hold last year after cost estimates ballooned amid plunging oil prices.

The Tangguh Expansion Project will also bring a positive contribution to Indonesia and the Papua Barat Province starting in 2016, supporting economic growth and providing 10,000 valuable jobs spread over the project period.

"Memorandum of understandings (MoUs) worth over $80 billion to be spent on investments in oil and gas infrastructure, pipelines, refineries, power, facility refurbishments and upstream have been signed with Chinese companies,"

The Chinese, through a statement by the Foreign Ministry last Sunday, said the two countries “have overlapping claims for maritime rights and interest.”

Venezuela’s oil output, already the lowest since 2009, is set to slide further this year as contractors scale back drilling after the cash-strapped country fell more than $1 billion behind in payments.

Total upstream jobs in the state during May averaged 205,100, down 21.2% from the May 2015 average and 33% from the estimated high of 306,020 in December 2014. Estimates from the TPI show the trough in upstream employment before December 2014 was 184,640 in October 2009. During the previous growth cycle, industry employment peaked at 225,965 in October 2008.

Canada's oil sands production will grow by 42 percent to 3.4 million barrels per day by 2025, most of which will come from the expansion of existing facilities rather than new projects