API - U.S. crude production rose to 10.2 million barrels per day (MBD) in January – the highest monthly output on record, according to API’s monthly statistical report. This was an increase of 1.1 percent versus December and 15.1 percent from January 2017.

REUTERS - Oil production rose to 1.91 million barrels a day (mbpd) in the last quarter of 2017 compared with 1.76 mbpd in the same period of 2016, the statistics office said.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 3 rigs from last week at 978, with oil rigs up 1 to 799, gas rigs up 2 at 179, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged. Canada Rig Count is down 12 rigs from last week to 306, with oil rigs down 9 to 209 and gas rigs down 3 to 97.

FT - Crude producers led by Saudi Arabia and Russia will aim to draft an agreement to formalise their partnership for oil market co-operation by the end of 2018, the UAE’s energy minister said.

AOG - Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih has said that the recent talks with his Iraqi counterpart stressed the need to strengthen commitment to a OPEC-led agreement to reduce crude output.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - Принимая декларацию о сотрудничестве в рамках ОПЕК+, мы не ставили своей целью ограничить добычу нефти на какой-то определенный срок, к примеру, на полгода, год или два. Нашей задачей было убрать излишки нефти с рынка. На текущий момент мы видим, что эта цель достигнута на две трети.

PLATTS - "We understand that global demand for oil will continue to grow rapidly and this demand will need to be met, so we will likely need to work together, including on upstream technology and joint projects to meet this growing demand," Novak said.

IEA - Our demand growth estimate for 2017 remains strong at 1.6 mb/d, reinforced by November data for the US. For 2018, the more positive global economic picture published by the International Monetary Fund is a key factor in raising our growth outlook to 1.4 mb/d. It was thought that the significant increase in the dollar price of crude oil since the middle of 2017 would dampen growth, and this might be the case to some extent, but the impact of higher prices has been partly offset in some countries by currency appreciations.

PLATTS - As a result, demand for OPEC crude will average 32.86 million b/d in 2018, the organization calculated.

МИНЭНЕРГО РОССИИ - Говоря о сделке по сокращению добычи нефти, Александр Новак отметил, что благодаря венским соглашениям федеральный бюджет получил дополнительный поступления. «За счет этого соглашения мы получили за период 2016-2017 годы в федеральный бюджет примерно 1,7 триллиона рублей, наши компании получили 700 миллиардов рублей. То есть почти 2,5 триллиона рублей – эффект, достигнутый за два года», - сказал глава энергетического ведомства.

BP announced the start of gas production from the Atoll Phase One project, offshore Egypt. The project, in the North Damietta concession in the East Nile Delta, was delivered seven months ahead of schedule and 33% below the initial cost estimate.

EIA - Crude oil production from the major US onshore regions is forecast to increase 110,000 b/d month-over-month in March to 6,756 million b/d, gas production to increase 832 million cubic feet/day to 64,941 million cubic feet/day .

REUTERS - “The Ministry maintains that the Norwegian rules on reimbursement of exploration costs and interest on carry forward of losses ... do not constitute state aid under Article 61 of the EEA Agreement, and are therefore in compliance with the EEA (European Economic Area) law,” the ministry said in a letter.

NOVATEK - Total and Eni signed exploration and production agreements (Agreements) with the Government of Lebanon to explore and produce hydrocarbons on the offshore blocks 4 and 9 in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. NOVATEK’s participating interest in the Agreements is 20%, Total and Eni both hold 40% stakes, with Total appointed as the Operator.

BAKER HUGHES A GE - U.S. Rig Count is up 29 rigs from last week to 975, with oil rigs up 26 to 791, gas rigs up 3 to 184, and miscellaneous rigs unchanged. Canada Rig Count is down 17 rigs from last week to 325, with oil rigs down 13 to 221 and gas rigs down 4 to 104.